Julio Jones Was The Definition Of a Falcon

Julio Jones, the Atlanta Falcons career receptions and yards leader has retired at the age of 36, after last playing 11 games for the Eagles in 2023.

Jones was taken 6th overall in what was a Hall-of-Fame-packed 2011 NFL draft. His career at Alabama was stellar, winning a National Championship in 2009 and being second team All-American and First team All-SEC in 2010.

When he joined the Falcons, there were huge expectations as the Falcons had traded five picks in order to snag Jones off the board. He joined a team with a Pro Bowl receiver in Roddy White and a Pro Bowl quarterback in Matt Ryan. As a rookie, he would have an impressive 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns. From there, he would only improve and in 2015 he would lead the league in receptions and yards with 136 for 1,871 yards. He also tallied 8 touchdowns that season. 

The season after, Jones would see himself playing in the super bowl. Jones finished with four receptions and 87 yards in what was an upsetting loss for Atlanta. He would finish his Falcons career with 848 receptions and 12,896 yards, as well as seven Pro Bowl selections, five All-Pro selections and two times being the receiving leader. 

Jones was everything that the Falcons hoped he would be, and he even outperformed expectations. He was a 2010's All-Decade team member along with First-ballot Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson and future Hall of Famers Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Brown. 

Jones would end up becoming the best wide receiver in Atlanta Falcons history but also solidified himself as one of the best all-time and one of the best ever to never win a Super Bowl. He was also the fastest player to reach milestones of 7,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, and 13,000 yards. 

Jones is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2029 and should be a lock to be first ballot. His legacy as a deep threat receiver who can set up his team for easy touchdowns is being carried on by players like Justin Jefferson who is breaking yardage records without having to find the end zone as much.