The controversial on-air call made by Shannon Sharpe to Julio Jones, in which the star wide receiver confessed he was intent on leaving the Falcons, has created major issues for the team.
The Falcons were blindsided and it hurt them in their plans to move Jones, according to a report by Front Office Sports.
“It’s become a huge deal,” a source told the website. A source also told the outlet the situation has caused a “massive stink bomb.”
The Falcons had no idea the call, in which Jones said “I’m out of there, man” and that the Cowboys were not an option for him, was being made.
It remains unclear if Jones was aware he was on the air at the time, although NFL analyst Chris Simms said it came as a surprise to Jones.
“From what I know, from people I know in the NFL, he had no idea he was on the air yesterday,” Simms said on NBC Sports’ “PFT Live.”
Julio Jones plays with the Falcons in 2019. Getty Images“I found that out from somebody in the know here. Yes, he and his agent were very disappointed after.”
Former NFL front office executive Mike Lombardi thinks this will help the Falcons in a slow news period in the league. Now that it’s out there that Jones wants out, more teams may reach out.
“The thing that makes trades great for the team is to have interest. And there’s interest in Julio,” said Lombardi, co-host of “The GM Shuffle” podcast. “As long as you have competitive interest, they’ll maximize the deal.”
