LB Deion Jones Agrees to 4-Year Contract Extension With Falcons
By Michael Luciano
Arguably the best off-ball linebacker in all of football just got a massive payday.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones is expected to sign a $57 million extension with $34 million in guarantees, per agent Drew Rosenhaus. The new deal will keep him in Atlanta through the 2023 campaign.
Falcons are signing LB Deion Jones a four-year, $57 million extension, including $34 million guaranteed, @RosenhausSports tells ESPN. Jones is now tied to the Falcons through the 2023 season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 17, 2019
Despite a terrific college career at LSU and blinding speed for the position, Jones slipped to the second round of the 2016 draft amid concerns about his slight frame compared to typical NFL linebackers.
Under Dan Quinn's tutelage, Jones managed to add weight without losing his speed. In three seasons, Jones has made one Pro Bowl while piling up 297 tackles and 8 interceptions.
Jones now becomes the highest paid drop-back linebacker in the league on a per-season basis, taking over from Minnesota's Anthony Barr.
Deion Jones is tough, smart, fast, instinctive, a sure-tackler, a leader, team captain and arguably the best coverage linebacker in the NFL. He's the ideal fit for what the Falcons want to do defensively.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 17, 2019
Hard to overstate how important his extension is to this franchise.
To be a linebacker in a Dan Quinn defense, you need to be able to cover a lot of ground in zone coverage while still being able to wrap up with the skill of an old-school 4-3 inside backer. Jones can do both of those things and more, and Atlanta's defense now has their centerpiece locked up for the next half-decade.