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.”
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.
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.
