Shannon Sharpe’s phone interview with Julio Jones on “Undisputed” sparked an internet frenzy over where the Atlanta Falcons All-Pro wide receiver might be heading next. For Fox Sports, the repercussions seem to be much worse.
According to Michael McCarthy and A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, the interview put a strain on the relationship between Fox Sports and the NFL, and the Falcons were blindsided by it.
Sources told FOS that the interview undercut Atlanta’s negotiating position as they explore moving Jones who has been linked to possible trade rumors since 2020.
“The Falcons are not going to be happy with this — and they will express their angst to the NFL,” Andrew Brandt, the former Green Bay Packers vice president told FOS. “Payback’s too strong a word. But they will hope for some kind of stroke down the road.”
In terms of repercussions for Fox Sports, FOS notes that “Fox could end up in the doghouse among the league’s TV partners, which include NBC, CBS, and ESPN. That could mean less access and cooperation from the team and other NFL clubs. Or, the worst case scenario for an NFL TV partner, the bad blood could lead to poor game matchups.”
It has yet to be determined if Jones knew he was live on “Undisputed” when talking on the phone with Sharpe, but if he didn’t, that could be cause for legal trouble for the show’s co-host. California is a two-party consent state when it comes to recording a phone conversation, which means both Jones and Sharpe must have had knowledge that the conversation was being recorded prior to it taking place.