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As NFL.com's Nick Shook reported it, the persistent rumblings of a potential split between Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons saw a significant development with a single phone call Monday.

Fox Sports' Shannon Sharpe dialed Jones while on air Monday and asked Jones if he'd like to be traded to the Dallas Cowboys, or remain in Atlanta.

"I'm out of there, man," Jones said.

When asked by Sharpe where he wanted to be traded, Jones replied, "Right now, I want to win."

It is unclear whether Jones was aware he was on live television.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Jones requested a trade from the Falcons a few months ago, and the team has since agreed to listen to offers from interested suitors. To this point, the Falcons haven't fielded an offer worthy of a deal, which is why the rumor mill continues to swirl regarding Jones.

Jones made his Monday comment because of the trade request, though such a request does not guarantee he'll end up having it fulfilled.

Shook went on to note that Jones' response seems to indicate he's ready for a fresh start elsewhere at 32-years-old.

Of course, as Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio suggested, when a team considers trading a player, the best leverage often comes from the team credibly saying, "Sorry, we're not trading him."

For the Falcons, that becomes a harder sell, now that Jones has declared, "I'm out of there."

One major factor will be whether and to what extent the Falcons are willing to pay part of his $15.3 million salary for 2021, which is guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap.

If he were to be traded, the team acquiring him would have to have at least $15.3 million in available cap space to take on his current contract, which runs through 2023. As it stands, 11 teams -- Jacksonville, the New York Jets, Cincinnati, Denver, Cleveland, Washington, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit, San Francisco and New England -- currently have $15.9 million or more in cap space, per Over The Cap.

Most of that group could complete a trade for Jones and still have roughly $5 million or more left in space. New England, a hot destination after a busy offseason, would have just $600,000 in space if they didn't also move a player who netted them a positive cap savings in a deal.

It's nevertheless looking more and more likely that a trade will occur, if the Falcons and a new team can find a sweet spot of trade compensation and shared salary obligation.

Stay tuned.