The legend of the NFL Julio Jones announces retirement after 13 seasons

By Jemani Scott, Josh Kendall, Brooks Kubena and Joe Rexrode

Julio Jones, a future Hall of Fame and icon of Atlanta Falcons, announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday after a 13 -year -old career.

Jones, who turned 36 on February 8, shared the news in a Video published on its social media. The more time receiver All-Prip and Pro Bowl leaves the NFL after sitting out of the 2024 season, with its last repetitions that arrive in 2023 during a race of 11 games with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I started when I was eight, only a Foley boy, Alabama. It was an extraordinary race,” Jones said after his announcement before thanking his family and all his former coaches and teammates, including special shouts for “Paterna figure” and the former Alabama coach Nick Saban and his former Falcons Quarterback Matt Ryan.

The fact that Jones highlighted his decision to retire to “404 Day”, an unofficial holiday in Atlanta, talks about the love he still has for the city and the organization in which he has become one of the greatest receivers in the history of the NFL.

Eded sixth in 2011, Jones rapidly emerged as a matchup nightmare after three extraordinary years under Saban in Alabama. The large madman gained his first selection of Pro Bowl in 2012 before going to tears in the following eight years, earning selections of first Back-to-back team all-brack team (2015-16) and three wires (2017-19) and six hints of further Pro Bowl.

In 2016, Jones, one year after talking about 1,871 career yard, played a fundamental role in guiding 11-5 Atlanta at the Super Bowl Li. Jones recorded his fourth season of 1,000 yard (1,409; seven for his career) and 334 yard and three scores in the post-installation. He contributed with four catches for 87 yard in his usual appearance of the Super Bowl, a loss of extraordinary now infamous against the Patriots of New England in a game in which Atlanta led 28-3 to the middle of the third quarter.

Jones Falcons’s mandate ended through an exchange with Tennessee Titans in 2021, where he played a season before joining the bucanieri and Tampa Bay eagles on a couple of one -year agreements to conclude his career.

With numerous awards, as well as Falcons and Records NFL to his name, Jones leaves a lasting legacy as a player and an inspiration for many of today’s best receivers. He retires as the leader of Falcons in receiving construction sites (12,896) and receptions (848), giving him a total of 13,703 reception yards, 914 receptions and 66 touchdown in 166 games of the regular season (153 departures). He also recorded 77 receptions, 992 yard and seven TDs in 11 post -installation games (10 departures).

Falcons Run cemented Jones’ legacy

Jones will be remembered for many things in Atlanta, in particular to be the receiver of all time. What should be remembered for is the spectacular capture of 27 yard that made late in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl Li who should have helped Atlanta to preserve what was once an advantage of 28-3. That capture was mostly washed by memories due to the victory of the Patriots, and this is a shame.

The grip was not only one of the best catches in the history of the Super Bowl, but also perfectly encapsulated the physical domination with which Jones played for a decade in Atlanta. The 6-Foot-3, 220 pounds cost the Falcons a total of five draft choices in the agreement that allowed them to switch from n. 27 at n. 6 In the first round of the draft of 2011, and everyone knew that it was worth it from the moment he got on the field.

Jones made a spectacular capture of 27 yard who was late in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl Li.

In addition to Pro Bowl and All-Prip Nods, Jones was also appointed in the NFL all-Decade team for the years 2010 in his decade with the Falcons. In the career of his Falcons, he had 12,896 yard and 60 touchdown in the regular season and another 834 yard and six touchdown in the post -station.

His career in Atlanta ended more silent than he would probably have had to. He was unable to exceed 450 yard in one of his last two seasons while the injuries slowed him down and during the games, and was exchanged with Tennessee in 2021 for a choice of the second round.

Jones has not been a visible presence throughout the team or in the city since he left, but it is likely that they change now that his retirement is official. The Falcons sent an EE -mail to their fan base less than an hour after Jones’ announcement by thanking him for his time with the team, and the owner of Atlanta Arthur Blank is generally eager to welcome local legends. – Josh Kendall, Falcons Beat Writer

Titans’ mandate offered a period of maximum splendor of Jones

Jones will be remembered in Nashville as one of the factors that contribute at the end of the mandate of the former GM Jon Robinson.

Another receiver-aj Brown, crazyly exchanged on the night of 2022 by Robinson-is the main name that comes to my mind, but Robinson exchanged a choice of the second round and a choice of the fourth round at the Falcons in 2021 (get a sixth back) to combine Jones with Brown ended up being a expensive move.

Jones had some the 2020 season mentioned the possibility, but Robinson did not take the suggestion. – Joe Rexrode, Nashville editorialist

The impact of Jones with the eagles felt off the pitch

Jones’ time in Philadelphia was a humble known for the purpose of what will probably be a career of Hall of Fame. The eagles, shortly in the position, signed Jones in a large receiver room to support two of the stars of the next era, Brown and Devonta Smith.

Jones has never scored more than three catches in any of his 12 games with eagles, and rarely recorded more than 20 shots. But it was a respected presence in the changing rooms and a veteran voice for a franchise that appreciates the tutoring for his talented young core. – Brooks Kubena, Eagles staff writer

Photo: Ron Chenoy / Image images images