The Atlanta Falcons informed Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones last month that they would not give him a contract extension this season, sources confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The communication doesn't mean the Falcons can't modify Jones' contract this season in the form of incentives, but his deal will not be extended in 2018, sources said.
The fact that someone in the Falcons organization has publicly commented does not sit well with Jones, sources told Schefter, and Jones now will have to decide whether to attend training camp next week.
If Jones does not report to training camp, he is subject to a $40,000 fine per day missed.
The team's decision not to renegotiate a deal with Jones was first reported by The Athletic.
Jones, who did not join the team for offseason workouts or a mandatory minicamp, was seeking a raise with three years and $34.426 million left on his contract. He signed a five-year, $71.25 million extension in August 2015 that included $47 million guaranteed. Jones is due $10.5 million for the '18 season.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff made it clear that the top priorities right now are extensions for left tackle Jake Matthews, nose tackle Grady Jarrett and free safety Ricardo Allen. The team typically addresses contract extensions when a player is entering the final year of a contract and apparently doesn't want to set a new precedent by addressing Jones' deal with three years left.
The Falcons report to training camp next Thursday, and the hope is Jones will report. The first practice is next Friday at 9:20 a.m.
Coach Dan Quinn expected Jones to report to mandatory minicamp, but that didn't occur. Quinn said he wasn't disappointed in Jones because the two had communication through the process. Quinn would not confirm if the team fined Jones the standard $84,435 for missing the three-day camp.
Jones joined quarterback Matt Ryan and a host of other Falcons for workouts in California this week. Following minicamp, Ryan promised to conduct such sessions with Jones as a participant.
Jones' average of $14.25 million per year, based on the five-year extension, stands ninth among NFL wide receivers. He was pushed down a slot this week when Brandin Cooks of the Los Angeles Rams signed a five-year extension worth $16 million per year. Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers leads all receivers at $17 million per year.
In terms of guaranteed money, Mike Evans of Tampa Bay tops all receivers at more than $55 million, followed by Houston's DeAndre Hopkins with $49 million and Jones and Cleveland's Jarvis Landry at $47 million.