‘Falcons for life’: Arthur Blank projects confidence on Grady Jarrett, Julio Jones deals

There was understandable concern among the Falcons’ fanbase when Julio Jones sat out a portion of 2018’s offseason activities, and likewise when Atlanta was unable to strike a deal with Grady Jarrett prior to the franchise tag deadline.

The Falcons of course revised Julio’s contract as a stopgap prior to a new deal, and slapped the franchise tag on Grady Jarrett earlier this month.

While there’s optimism on the team reaching agreements with both of its cornerstone players, owner Arthur Blank took that positive outlook public by declaring that Jones and Jarrett would both be “Falcons for life.”

That’s definitely welcome news directly from the top, and should ease some anxiety about new deals getting done in short order. Julio Jones is currently carrying a 2019 cap hit of $13.46 million, and under the franchise tag Grady Jarrett is slated to make $15.2 million in the upcoming season.

New contracts for both would mean increased cap flexibility, and of course ensuring that they remain with the Falcons for the foreseeable future.

If we’re to take Arthur Blank at his word, that means for the remainder of their careers. Good news, to be sure.