He also showed up to Matt Ryan's passing camp when it was said he wouldn't... What pay raise?
Julio Jones has been a team player from day one, this dude has destroyed his body for his teammates and the fans and people like you want to come around and trash him and question his "motives." If you asked 100% of his teammates how they felt about this "hold out", I would put money that every single one would have Julio's back because they believe he'd have theirs.
You are the biggest fool in the world if you think Julio put himself through all of this for you or me. He did it for the money, himself, his future, and for his family possibly, like we all do on a daily basis. Give me one person that ever put their life and body through this type of "beating" as you call it for everyone else other than a soldier and I will concede. Time and time again we see these guys pitching fits because they are in for themselves. They love their teammates, but you will rarely see one take a paycut for another teammate. Tom Brady and Drew Brees are two that have and they are absolutely loved by everyone in their city and respected throughout the NFL.
Julio holding out of OTA's, mandatory minicamps, purging all of his social media of Atlanta Falcon tags and pictures, and letting his agent do his talking is more than enough to make a point. Have you not learned it's the guy that says nothing in a room is the one making the loudest statement and the one you have to watch out after? He played it well by not sticking his foot in his mouth and being like most players and just jabbering, but he was clearly playing damage control after the fact by saying he wasn't going to hold out. My ass, because he technically already had. The Ryan Passing Camp? Not team mandated and the bill was footed by Ryan himself.
And so we're clear, no one is trashing the guy. We simply stated our opinion on how he should honor his commitment where he signed his name and allow the organization to look at his contract the next time it becomes first available. They specifically said they look at contracts a year or two out and had other players who had their time come before Julio. So if anything, he is putting himself ahead of other teammates. So spin it how you will, but you are blowing up, per usual, at something you are just off base with. He also is receiving a raise. They are moving 2019 salary to his 2018 salary, in which he will renegotiate after this season and next season will be for more money, making that a raise he is receiving for this year without losing any money next year.
