A bombshell was dropped on FS1’s Undisputed Monday morning when Shannon Sharpe unexpectedly dialed Julio Jones from his cell phone and asked him if he wanted to stay in Atlanta, to which Julio Jones responded, “I’m outta here.” However, while that might be great for ratings, there’s one tiny issue — Jones might not have known he was on live television, making what Sharpe did illegal. Sharpe did end the conversation by saying he was on air, but by that time, the cat was already out of the bag.
For several reasons, this caused a stir on Twitter. Obviously, the world was now aware that Julio Jones had demanded a trade, but journalists everywhere were questioning the tactics used by Sharpe and the Undisputed team. Today, some questions have been answered.
Apparently, the Falcons were completely caught off guard by the interview, according to Front Office Sports.
The Falcons, according to sources, believe the interview — where Jones told Sharpe “I’m out of there, man” about Atlanta while also dismissing the Dallas Cowboys as a possible destination — undercut their negotiating position as they try to trade the All-Pro wide receiver to another NFL club.
The team had no advance knowledge or input into the interview.
Sources said Jones’ reps at Creative Artists Agency have reached out to Fox about the situation.
“It’s become a huge deal,” said one source.
The Falcons have every right to be frustrated. The new regime hired this offseason was already dealing with the face of their franchise demanding a trade. Now, on top of that, they feel their negotiating position has been compromised because of illegal journalistic tactics used by Fox Sports.
There are a lot of pieces involved in this puzzle — Julio Jones, the Falcons, Fox Sports, and the NFL — so it will likely be a while before it is all resolved, but there really aren’t any winners in this. No matter what happens, the Falcons’ trade position is compromised; Julio Jones’ near-perfect reputation is tarnished, and he was likely blindsided as well; Fox Sports could potentially be sued and have to deal with other sanctions, and the NFL has to deal with it all.
We’ll keep you updated as more details emerge, but I highly doubt this changes anything in regards to a Julio Jones trade. He still wants out, and the Falcons are still going to look for the best return possible.
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