Falcons LB Deion Jones 'Had No Question' About Atlanta Return

Jones has started 83 of 85 career games but finds his spot with the first team in jeopardy following his return to practice.

For much of the offseason, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones seemed to be on his way out.

With consistently swirling trade rumors matched with his elongated absence from the team, few signs pointed to Jones returning to Atlanta.

However, Jones was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list Wednesday and was back at practice for the opening session against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While it was a surprise to some, Jones asserted after practice that he assumed he'd be back in the fold for his seventh professional campaign.

"I had no question about me being back," Jones said. "I figured I was going to be back here, and I was just getting my mindset ready and my body ready to come back."

Jones, 27, is in the third year of a four-year, $57 million contract. He has the highest cap hit on the team at $20 million, which puts him $5 million above the next-biggest hit.

Releasing Jones would've resulted in $24 million in dead cap and only $4 million in savings, with trading him proving to be a significantly better alternative at $10 million of dead cap and $9 million in savings. 

However, it takes two to tango in the trade market, and initial reports indicated the Falcons struggled finding a partner for Jones. How valid were the reports? According to Jones, not enough to worry him.

"I didn't even see (the rumors)," Jones claimed. "If I would've known something, if it was something serious, (head coach) Art (Smith) would've called me, my agent would've called me. Other than that, I was just locked in getting my body back."

Jones was a 16-game starter last year, finishing with 137 tackles, one shy of matching his career high total. Despite his productive campaign, Jones struggled to hold up against blockers, with his down-to-down impact ultimately not being what his cap hit and numbers would suggest.

Already entering the offseason without much positive momentum, Jones missed a majority of the programs, including all of OTAs and nearly the first month of training camp, recovering from shoulder surgery. Despite the former Pro Bowler's contract, his spot with the starters is firmly up for grabs, something Smith touched on after Wednesday's practice.

"I'll say this: give Deion credit," Smith said. "Because he's going to come out here, he's going to compete, work his way back in. It's going to be hard to get on the field in that room, and that's what you want in a competition."

For as much of a rollercoaster as Jones' 2021 season was, he's still started 83 of 85 games he's appeared in as a professional. He's been a shoo-in starter since finishing third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race in 2016.

But yet, he found himself working the third-team defense in his first practice back, a notion that he has a long road ahead to get his starting spot back. Waiting for him at the top? Free agent addition Rashaan Evans and returning third-year pro Mykal Walker, who Smith said are "doing a great job."

Beyond those two, Smith singled out a pair of rookies in second-round pick Troy Anderson and standout undrafted Nate Landman, 2021 undrafted free agent Dorian Etheridge and seventh-year pro Nick Kwiatkoski. 

By all accounts, Jones has a steep road ahead of him. The positive? His return more than shows he's embraced the competition and is ready to attack it.

"I will say this about Deion," Smith began. "I'll give him credit, because he's got the right mindset to come out here and prove something. He knows what he's got to improve off of last year. That competition's real, so I do appreciate him; he wanted to get back and wanted to compete. We'll see where it goes."

Jones has been a staple in the middle of Atlanta's defense for the past six years. However, with the individual and team results simply not what the Falcons' new staff is looking for, the former LSU star becomes a prime example of the culture Smith is trying to establish - no matter how much you make or what you've done, you have to earn snaps every single day.

After an offseason filled with rumors that seemingly reached everyone except himself, Jones is officially back. From here, the role - or lack thereof - he takes on is firmly in his own hands, with the day-to-day competition only going to heat up as the season nears.

Jones and the Falcons take on the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.