The Falcons are expected to make an adjustment to Julio Jones’ contract in lieu of an extension, according to CBS Sports NFL business analyst Joel Corry.
“It would be a mild surprise if the Falcons extended the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver's contract since he has three years remaining,” Corry said. “It's more likely for the Falcons to make a minor adjustment to Jones' contract by adding unlikely-to-be-earned incentives or increasing his 2018 compensation by taking money from his 2019 base salary.”
Similar moves have been made to placate other elite skill players such as Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski. Whether or not this would be enough for Jones to end his holdout remains to be seen, but we've seen time and time again that NFL players lack a lot of leverage in these circumstances. Expect Jones to start out wide for the Falcons come Week 1.