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One of the NFL’s greatest wide receivers of the last decade-plus is ready to go fishing.
Former Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones announced on Friday that he is officially retiring from the NFL. Jones made the announcement in a video post to the social media app Squad and called his career “an amazing ride.”
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Jones, 36, was one of the true legends of his era. A seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro selection, he posted six straight seasons of 1,000 yards receiving or more for the Falcons from 2014-19. Jones also led the NFL in receiving yards in 2015 with 1,871 (the third-most all-time for a single season) and again in 2018 with 1,677.
Jones, the former Alabama standout who was selected sixth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, was well-known for his wide range of receiving abilities, including exceptional physical capability, route running, and catching capabilities. He was formerly the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL and helped Atlanta reach Super Bowl LI in the 2016 season.
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Jones was eventually traded by the Falcons to the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2021 campaign in a cost-cutting move. But he never reached even 500 yards in a single season again, including his subsequent one-off stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
After suffering a concussion late in the 2023 season with the Eagles, Jones went unsigned for the entire 2024 NFL campaign. But with 13 seasons played and nearly $150 million in estimated career earnings, Jones is now ready to call it quits and will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer once the time comes.
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