After 16 years at the station, WZTV (Nashville) Sports Anchor Paul Jones says he is taking his ball and going home. 

Jones said he recently turned down a new three-year contract with a raise in order to explore his career options. Of course, he did not say how much that raise was?

"I've gotten to the point in my career where I just feel like I need to spread my wings a little bit and find a new challenge and something that excites me and that I enjoy," Jones said.

"I'm leaving on good terms; I appreciate being offered a new contract with a raise because in this day and age that's nothing to sneeze at," Jones said. "But in my heart I feel like it's time to find the next chapter in my career and with my contract being up, this was the time to do it. You only have one life to live and you need to live it as best you can. Sometimes that requires going out on a limb and seeing what else is out there."

Here's a tip, when someone keeps bringing up the fact that they were offered a new contract and turned it down, it was because the offer was shitty.

They just want you to know that they didn't get fired and they turned down an offer. 

The egos in this business are unreal. 

H/T The Tennessean