Atlanta may have breathed a collective sigh of relief when it learned that Julio Jones would report to Falcons training camp this week.
Matt Ryan, on the other hand, was too busy sleeping.
The former MVP-winning quarterback may have been the one player most affected by the anticipated absence of Jones, whose desire for a new contract was put on hold with an "adjustment" to his 2018 salary. But Ryan was "fast asleep, getting some rest" at home when news broke of Jones showing up to camp -- and he "felt pretty good about it" once he woke up.
"I was home asleep when I got the text message," Ryan told Pete Prisco on CBS Sports HQ. "(But) I've been through this before with other teammates ... and I understand that it's a part of the business."
The Falcons' signal-caller, who's connected with Jones on more than 80 passes in each of the last four years, went on to suggest that his All-Pro wideout would have been prepared for 2018 with or without an appearance at training camp.
"I'm glad it's resolved and he's here -- obviously that's a good thing for us," he said. "(But) one of the things that I always think is that professionals get themselves ready to play and are focused on being the best player they can be. Whether he was here or not, I know he would've approached that the same way, so he would've been ready to go."
As far as contracts go, Ryan will be playing under his own new deal -- a five-year, $150-million extension -- in 2018. And yet he told Prisco that his standards, much like those of Jones, have not changed because of money.
"I'm thrilled to be extended here in Atlanta and will be here for the next six years, which is awesome," he said. "But as far as pressure, I've always set an expectation for myself that had nothing to do with the finance part of this business."
