Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is inactive for tonight’s game against the Saints, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Falcons ruled Jones out after testing his shoulder strength and it’s not immediately clear whether he’ll be able to play in Week 14 against the Panthers either. 

Jones’ right shoulder will cause him to miss his first regular season game since the 2016 season. Through eleven games this year, Jones has reeled in 64 catches for 950 yards and four touchdowns – good numbers in spite of the Falcons’ overall woes.

After signing Jones to a three-year, $66MM extension in September, the Falcons would probably like to play it safe with Jones and keep him out of action, since the playoffs are out of reach. That’s unlikely to fly with the multiple-time Pro Bowler, however.

Jones’ unprecedented contract is fully guaranteed, with all but $2MM being completely locked down at the time of signing. After years of pushing for an extension, Jones set a new benchmark at his position and passed his previous AAV of $14.25MM – good for just 12th among wideouts – on a rocket ship.

The Falcons figure to overhaul their team in the offseason, but Jones will remain the face of the club for years to come.

At long last, it sounds like the Falcons and wideout Julio Jones have agreed to a contract extension. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) have agreed to a three-year, $66MM extension. The unprecedented deal is fully-guaranteed and includes $64MM due at signing.

Earlier today, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported (via Twitter) that the two sides were finalizing a deal that would make Jones the highest-paid receiver in the league. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that the deal was expected to be a three-year pact worth around $66MM.

Jones is now setting a new benchmark at the position. Saints Pro Bowler Michael Thomas leads wideouts with an average annual value of $19.25MM, following by Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at $18MM. Jones had been pushing for an extension for several seasons, with his previous AAV ($14.25MM) ranking only 12th among wideouts.

Since Jones is heading into his age-30 season, his extension is a bit more complicated than the deals signed by Thomas and Beckham. Still, the nine-year pro was apparently able to set a new standard at the position, even if it’s only for a handful of years. The $64MM that’s due at signing is also a record-setter; 97-percent of Jones’ contract is guaranteed at signing, while the previous high for a non-QB (according to Schefter) belonged to Trey Flowers, who got 74-percent guaranteed at signing.

The two sides had been discussing an extension for months, with recent reports indicating that a deal was close. Jones didn’t hold out from minicamp nor training camp, while owner Arthur Blank consistently expressed optimism that they’d sign the receiver to a long-term deal. The front office has also been working on clearing up cap space, with many assuming the money would end up going to Jones.

The former first-rounder has certainly established himself as one of the best players at his position. Jones’ 7,994 receiving yards since the 2014 season are the most any player has ever compiled in a five-year span, and he finished last season with 113 receptions for a league-leading 1,677 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

The Falcons and Julio Jones appear to be on the verge of their long-discussed extension agreement, but no deal is done. This is not a situation where the team is waiting to announce it, either, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noting the sides have not finalized a contract.

Arthur Blank confirmed this new agreement will make Jones the league’s highest-paid receiver and considers the possibility of a deal not being finalized by Week 1 (and Jones perhaps missing that game) “remote.” It’s just not known by how much. Michael Thomas signed for $19.25MM per year earlier this summer.

“I’m optimistic that we’ll get something done, so I’m not going to focus on something that I consider a remote possibility,’’ Blank said of Jones missing the game, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “There’s no obstacle, per se. When you’re talking about a contract for that much money over that period of time for a premier, outstanding player, it’s just very complicated. It’s not cut and dry.”

The two-time first-team All-Pro wideout did not hold out from Falcons minicamp or training camp, so it would obviously mark a course change if Jones missed Sunday’s game against the Vikings. A new contract would eliminate any mystery here, and it sounds like there’s a better chance of Jones signing one before then than not.

Jones going into his age-30 season, his ninth in the NFL, makes this deal more complicated than the ones given to younger stars like Thomas or Odell Beckham Jr. the past two summers. But the team has been clear about wanting Julio Jones to follow Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones in Blank’s “Falcons for life” vision. The Falcons freed up $5MM in cap space earlier Wednesday, further setting the table for Jones’ next deal — expected to eclipse the $20MM-AAV barrier.

Despite the Saints striking first with their Michael Thomas extension nearly a month ago, the Falcons and their No. 1 wide receiver remain in talks. Jones has been unhappy with his deal for many months, missing workouts in the 2018 and ’19 offseasons. While he is tethered to the extension he signed in 2015 — now 13th in AAV — Jones reported to camp and continues to be Atlanta’s top priority.

The Falcons, who extended Deion Jones and Grady Jarrett in July, want to have their 30-year-old superstar signed by Week 1. But Arthur Blank is not certain that will happen.

“I would hope so, but I don’t know that,” Blank said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, of an extension being finalized within the next two weeks. “We’ll have to let things take their course. I know that we are definitely in serious negotiations. It’s our goal and their goal as well to get it done before the start of the season.”

Jones’ agent, Jimmy Sexton, met with Falcons brass last week. Despite Jones’ production and Hall of Fame trajectory, this process may be a bit more complicated because of where the 2011 first-rounder is in his career. This will be Jones’ age-30 season; he is older than all but two of the wideouts (Antonio Brown and A.J. Green) who currently out-earn him. Jones is almost certain not to sign for anything less than Thomas received.

“The negotiations continue to move along in a positive way,” Blank said, reiterating he wants Jones to finish his career in Atlanta. “It’s a big contract and it’s complex and what have you. It takes a little more time than we’d like. Probably a little more time than he would like, but I know we are in a good place.”

The Falcons and Julio Jones could once again be ready to make progress on a new contract. On Wednesday, the wide receiver confirmed that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, is in town to discuss an extension with the club (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). 

Throughout the summer, we’ve heard that the Falcons and Jones were on the verge of a deal. The belief was that Jones’ contract would be signed just as soon as the ink dried on Michael Thomas‘ new pact worth up to $100MM, but three weeks have passed since the Saints star secured the bag.

For his part, Jones has remained patient and played the part of a good soldier by reporting for duty in July.

“Mr. Blank gave us his word. … That’s golden,” Jones said in June. “His word is that it’s going to get done. … There’s no stress on my end. I’m not thinking about it. [Blank] makes it easy for me to go out and just work every day and not have one of those situations where there’s a holdout or anything like that.”

Jones’ 7,994 receiving yards since the 2014 season are the most any player has ever compiled in a five-year span. A new deal would be expected to position Jones as one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL in multiple categories.