Julio Jones

At 35 years old, Julio Jones has this physical status:

College career

Jones grew to prominence and a fan favorite under head coach Nick Saban in the first three years on the Crimson Tide. Jones became the first true freshman wide receiver to start in a season opener for the Crimson Tide, beginning against the Clemson Tigers in 2008 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff; Jones intercepted four passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in a 34–10 loss. Jones had a breakout game over the #3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, with five passes for 94 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown reception from John Parker Wilson. In his first 100-yard receiving game against Tennessee, where he had six receptions for 103 yards en route to a 29–9 victory. Jones, who played for #16 LSU two weeks later, set a record of seven catches for 128 yards. John Parker Wilson's 23-yard touchdown in overtime set up a game-winning touchdown, earning Alabama a 27-21 victory. Jones completed five passes for 124 yards in the 2008 SEC Championship Game. Jones earned the Crimson Tide's first game of the season in the first quarter. However, top Alabama dropped to No. 6 in the rankings. The Tide's first loss of the year was defeated by a score of 31-20. Jones led all receivers for the Crimson Tide in 2014 with 58 receptions for 924 passing yards and four receiving touchdowns.

The Southeastern Conference announced the annual All-SEC first-team, second-team, and individual awards on December 8, as voted by the Associated Press. Jones was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Year by a second-team All-SEC and named as the SEC Freshman of the Year. His rookie year drew comparisons to NFL legends. "This guy is a special, rare talent for the wide receiver position, with his unmatched combination of size, strength, speed, and agility," ESPN.com notes. He reminds us of Michael Irvin's time as a high school student, but Jones is more explosive and faster at this moment. Jones was placed in the same category as Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who at the time was the second-leading receiver in the NFL.

Jones' output increased during the second half of the 2009 season after suffering what some writers described as a "sophomore slump" during a slow first half. Jones had four catches for 102 yards, including a 73-yard game-winning touchdown in Alabama's 24–15 victory over #9 LSU in a rivalry game against #9 LSU. Jones was instrumental in winning by three third-down passes in an 8-minute, 80-yard run that fans refer to as "The Drive" to bring up running back Roy Upchurch's game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter's waning minutes. Alabama remained undefeated at 12–0 during the regular season, advancing to a SEC Championship match against the No. 1 Florida Gators. Jones caught his first catch of the season, an 18-yard touchdown from McElroy. In the 2010 championship match against the #2 Texas Longhorns, the Crimson Tide won the game 32-13, giving them a chance to compete for the BCS National Championship. In the championship game, the Tide led the Tide after the passing game faltered. However, the running game took over for 205 total rushing yards and led Alabama to a 37–21 win.

In the first seven games, Jones led to two games going over 100 yards and three total touchdowns. Jones won 41–10 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on October 23, playing 221 yards on 12 receptions. In the 63–7 win, he scored two touchdowns in his first collegiate game against Georgia State on November 18. Jones had ten receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown in the Iron Bowl against #2 Auburn on November 26, but the Crimson Tide was defeated by 28-27. Jones' last collegiate game, the Crimson Tide, played bowling. Jones had three receptions for 49 yards, 36 rushing yards, and a running touchdown in the 49–7 victory over Michigan State.

Jones finished his junior season with 78 receptions and 1,133 yards as a result, as well as seven touchdowns (fourth in school history). In addition, he had eight rushes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, as well as five punt returns for 44 yards and five kickoff returns for 129 yards. Jones spent his second year in career receptions (179) and yards (2,653) in school history, and fourth in touchdown catches (15). Jones played in 100 percent of games in his career (second in school history). In 2010, Jones was the first-team All-SEC pick.

Professional career

Jones decided against his senior season on January 7, 2011. Rather, he declared his readiness for the NFL Draft alongside teammates Mark Ingram, Greg McElroy, and Marcell Dareus. Jones was later admitted to the "All-Star Football Challenge," a skill competition held by ESPN on February 4. Despite having a broken bone in his foot, he made the longest jump and the third-quickest 40-yard dash among wide receivers at the 2011 NFL Combine.

Despite already having Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White, the Atlanta Falcons selected Jones with the sixth overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Falcons traded five draft picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up to their spot and keep Jones, giving up their 27th, 59th, and 124th picks from the 2012 Draft, as well as their first and fourth-round picks from the 2012 Draft. Because the draft was postponed, teams were unable to use players in draft day trades, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff found it impossible to move up from the number 27th overall pick to the sixth overall pick. Dimitroff said, "We knew it was going to be a daring move and cost us." "We were really concerned about the decision for a player who truly adds to the dynamic, fast athleticism we're looking for on this team." He was the second wide receiver to be selected in the 2011 NFL Draft behind only A. J. Green of the Georgia Bulldogs was selected fourth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals and ranked fourth overall. In addition, he was one of five Alabama Crimson Tide players to be selected that year. Jones was the Falcons' number 11 on the front page.

Jones came to terms with the Atlanta Falcons on July 28, 2011, completing a four-year deal worth $16.2 million, none of which was guaranteed. At Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears was his NFL debut. Jones had five receptions for 71 yards in the 30–12 loss. Jones had six receptions for 115 yards in the Falcons' 16–13 loss, his first game with 100+ yards in Week 3. Jones had 11 receptions for 127 yards in Week 4, against the Seattle Seahawks. In a 31-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Week 9, he had his first two receiving touchdowns. In the first quarter, Jones' first touchdown was a 50-yard reception from quarterback Matt Ryan, and his second touchdown was an 80-yard reception from Ryan in the second quarter. Jones bounced back against the Houston Texans after having quiet games against the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings and being inactive during a game against the Tennessee Titans. Jones had another good game the following week, with three receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns of 75-yards and 17-yards respectively, both of his touchdowns coming in the 4th quarter, allowing the Falcons to beat the Carolina Panthers 31-23. Jones' season has featured five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown, eight receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown, eight receptions for 128 yards, and a touchdown, as well as four receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Jones finished his rookie season with 393 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 13 games played over the last four games of the regular season. He finished the season with eight touchdown receptions, while his 959 receiving yards ranked him second among rookies in yards, behind A. J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals and third in catches behind Green and Greg Little of the Cleveland Browns. Jones was named to the 2011 PFWA All-Rookie Team. The Falcons earned the #5 seed in the playoffs after a 10–6 regular season record. Jones had seven receptions for 64 yards in his debut in the Wild Card Round, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in 24–2 defeat.

Jones made his second appearance against the Kansas City Chiefs in 40–24 victories, with six receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Jones had five receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. In the 19–13 victory, he backed up his play against the Eagles by five receptions for 129 yards against the Dallas Cowboys. Jones had six receptions for 147 yards and an 80-yard touchdown reception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 25, the 24–23 victory in Week 12. Jones had six receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in Week 33. The Falcons completed the season with a 13-33 regular season record and earned the top seed in the NFL playoffs. Jones scored his first interception on the last play of the game against quarterback Russell Wilson in the Divisional Rounds. In addition, he had six receptions for 59 yards in the 30–28 victory. Jones had 11 receptions against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, including a career-high 182-yards and two touchdowns. Jones had 79 receptions for 1,198 receiving yards and ten touchdowns in his first season as a rookie, with a career high in single-season touchdown receptions. He was then nominated for the 2013 Pro Bowl, his first Pro Bowl nomination. Jones and fellow wide receiver Roddy White were the first 1,000-yard receiver pair the Falcons had since 1998 (Tony Martin and Terence Mathis). On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012, he ranked 26th by his peers.

Jones began the 2013 season with seven receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints, who lost by seven points in the 23–17 loss. Jones had 11 receptions for 182-yards, with one touchdown against the St. Louis Rams that went 81 yards. Jones maintained his hot streak against the Miami Dolphins and six receptions against the New England Patriots over the next two games. Jones fractured his foot against the New York Jets on Monday night, but was declared out for the season on October 7, 2013. Jones had eight receptions for 99 yards in his last game. Jones finished 76th in receiving yards among 458 eligible players for the 2013 season, with 41 receptions for 580 yards and two touchdowns. Jones would have led the league in both offenses if he had completed his season and kept up his average of 116 yards and 8.2 receptions per game. The Falcons finished with a losing regular season record and failed to make the playoffs.

Jones' rookie deal was extended to the team through the 2015 season on April 29, 2014. Jones opened the 2014 season with a seven reception 116-yard win over the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome. Jones had nine receptions for 161-yards and two touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, Week 3. In the 29-18 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, Jones set a new career record of ten receptions for 189 yards. In the 43-37 loss to the Green Bay Packers, he tied for his first game with over 200 yards receiving, he tied for his career single-game receiving record, receiving 259-yards on 11 receptions, his first game with over 200 yards receiving. Jones had a reception for 79-yards and a 22-yard touchdown reception, and in total, he had his fourth-most receiving yards in a Monday Night Football game. Jones had seven receptions for 107 yards against the New Orleans Saints in Week 16, defeating the 30–14 victory. Jones had 104 receptions in a season, his first appearance in over 100 yards in a season, and third in the entire league. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the 2014 season. The Falcons suffered to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row. He was ranked 13th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

The Falcons signed Jones to a five-year, $71.5 million contract extension on August 29, 2015, with $47 million as a guarantee. On Monday Night Football, Jones debuted the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2015 season. Jones had nine receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in the 26-24 victory. Jones, who had played for 135 yards in a 24-20 victory over the New York Giants in Week 2, put on a 164-yard and two-touchdown performance in the 39-28 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, marking his career-high 13 receptions in a 24–20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. In the win, Jones was aimed at a career-high 20 times. Jones had five receptions for 67 yards against the Washington Redskins in Week 5, while scoring a touchdown on an offensive fumble recovery in the end zone in the 25-19 victory. Jones had nine receptions for 92 yards and an 8-yard touchdown reception in Week 7, a win over the Tennessee Titans. Jones had 12 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown in Week 8 of a 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jones had ten receptions for 137 yards in a 17–16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers the next week, but he lost by ten yards in a 24-21 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Jones had nine receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15. Jones had nine receptions for 178 yards and a touchdown in a 20-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors this week. Jones had nine receptions for 149 yards in the 20-17 loss, and in the season's finale against the New Orleans Saints. Jones led to 1,871 receiving yards, a Falcons franchise record and the third-highest in NFL history, behind Cooper Kupp (1,947 receiving yards for the Los Angeles Rams), and Calvin Johnson (1,964 receiving yards in 2012 for the Detroit Lions). Jones held a franchise-record 136 receptions, tying with Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most receptions of the season and third in NFL history; behind Michael Thomas (149 receptions with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021), Cooper Kupp (145 receptions in 2021), and Marvin Harrison (143 receptions with the Indianapolis Colts in 2002). Jones was also the first wide receiver since the Super Bowl began to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage. He was chosen to the 2015 Pro Bowl, his third in his career, and for the first time, he was named to first-team All-Pro. He was ranked by his peers as the eighth-best player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016. His season is regarded as one of the finest seasons to be ever recorded by a wide receiver. For the third year in a row, the Falcons reached an 8–8 record in regular season and then failed to make the playoffs for the third straight year.

Jones began the season with one 100-yard game in the month of September, a 2–1 stretch for the Falcons. Jones had 12 passes for a Falcons-record 300 yards, the most against the Panthers ever, as well as a touchdown in a 48-33 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Jones made him the sixth player in NFL history to have at least 300 receiving yards in a game against the Panthers. This week, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. In addition, Matt Ryan threw for 533 passing yards, making them the first quarterback-wide receiver pair to gain at least 500 passing yards and 300 receiving yards in a single NFL game. Jones went over the 100-yard mark five times, including a 174-yard game against the San Diego Chargers in Week 7. Jones had 83 receptions on 129 targets for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns in the 2016 season. His career highs were his 17.0 yards per reception and 10.9 yards per target. Jones was selected to his third straight and fourth Pro Bowl career, and he was named first-team All-Pro for the second year in a row. He was also ranked third by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 as the top-ranked wide receiver. The Falcons made the playoffs in 2016 with an 11–5 regular season record and they were ranked as the second seed in the NFC. Jones had six receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown in the 36-20 victory at the Georgia Dome in the Divisional Round against the Seahawks. Jones had nine receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the 44–21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship. Jones had four receptions for 87 receiving yards on four targets during Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots. Jones made the Falcons beat the Falcons 28-20, but the Falcons then went "iconic catch" from Ryan to put the Falcons on the Patriots' 22-yard line late in the game, with Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post calling it "iconic catch" from Ryan. However, the Falcons were forced to lose field position and move out of game-sealing field goal range due to a subsequent dismissal and holding penalty, causing them to punt the ball back to New England. On the ensuing drive, the Patriots will score and will tie on a two-point conversion 28–28. The Patriots would win the game 34–28 after winning the coin toss in overtime, marking the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Jones had just one game going over 100 yards in the 2017 season's first five games. Jones scored his first receiving touchdown of the 2017 season in Week 7, in a loss to the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LI rematch, with a one-yard reception from Ryan. Jones had another good showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12 with 253 receiving yards and two touchdowns, one of which was blocked by fellow receiver Mohamed Sanu, as the Falcons defeated the Falcons 34-20. His success in Week 12 earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. Jones was the first NFL player to play in three games with at least 250 receiving yards and the tenth to record three games with at least 200 yards. Jones was named to his fifth Pro Bowl on December 19, 2017. Jones had seven receptions for 149 yards in Week 17 of the New Orleans Saints. Jones was later named to the second team All-Pro for the first time in his career. He had 88 receptions for 1,444 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 2017 season. In the Wild Card Round, the Falcons made the playoffs and met the Los Angeles Rams. In the 26–13 victory over the Rams, Jones had nine receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. Jones had nine receptions for 101 yards in the Divisional Round against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Falcons lost by a score of 15–10. On the Falcons' last offensive play, he was in the endzone but he was unable to catch it. He was ranked fourth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

In the 12–18 loss, the Philadelphia Eagles Jones received ten receptions for 169 yards to go with an 11-yard rush in the season's opener against the reigning Super Bowl champions. Jones became the first franchise player to complete 40 games with at least 100 receiving yards, breaking his tie with Roddy White in the loss. In Week 3, he had nine receptions for 173 yards in the Cincinnati Bengals' 37-36 loss. Jones had ten receptions for 144 yards in Week 6, over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defeating the 34–29 victory. Jones was intercepted seven times by 121 yards in Week 9 against the Washington Redskins, his first receiving touchdown of the season. Jones had seven receptions against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. Jones became the fastest player in football to reach 10,000 career receiving yards in 104 games, defeating Calvin Johnson who played 115 games. Jones had six receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown in the loss in the following game against the Dallas Cowboys. Jones had 11 receptions for 147 yards against the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving in Week 12. Jones had eight receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14. Jones was the first NFL player to record five seasons with at least 1,400 yards in a row. Jones had 138 yards and a touchdown in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defeating the 34–32 triumph. Jones was named to his sixth Pro Bowl on December 18, 2018, but he had to cancel due to illness. Jones was later named to a second-team All-Pro after the season. Jones had 113 receptions for a league-best 1,677 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2018 season. Jones was the only player to average more than 100 receiving yards per game with 104.8 yards per game during the 2018 season. Despite not having a single touchdown reception in the first eight weeks of the season, Jones had eight touchdown catches in the final eight weeks of the season. He was ranked ninth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.

Jones signed a three-year, $64 million contract, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league at the time. Jones had five receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 as the Falcons defeated the Eagles 24-20. With two minutes remaining in the game, Jones' second touchdown occurred on fourth down. On the play, quarterback Matt Ryan threw a short pass to Jones, who led to a Falcons win after a 54-yard touchdown. Jones became the Falcons all-time receiver yard leader in this game, smashing Roddy White's record. Jones had eight passes for 128 yards and one touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts on Week 3 as the Falcons lost 24–27. Jones was the fastest player in NFL history to reach 11,000 career receiving yards in 115 games, beating out Calvin Johnson who played 127 games. Jones had ten receptions for 152 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8 of Week 8. Due to a shoulder injury, Jones was forced to miss the Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints. Jones had a season-high 13 receptions for 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns, the latter of which was the game-winner in Week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers. Jones was intercepted 20 times and finished with ten receptions for a season-high 166 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 as the Falcons defeated the Jaguars 24-12. Jones made the game his fastest player in NFL history to reach 12,000 career receiving yards in 125 games, defeating Jerry Rice who had 142 games. Jones had 99 receptions for 1,394 receiving yards and six touchdowns in the 2019 season. Jones scored four of those touchdowns in his first three games, but he didn't score another touchdown in nine games and didn't score another touchdown until the remainder of the season. Nevertheless, Jones finished 26th out of all qualified receivers in the same class. He came in second in receiving yards and sixth in receptions in the league. He received his seventh and second-team All-Pro nominations in his career, but he did not want to go. Jones was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.

Jones was on target nine of 12 targets for 157 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 as the Falcons lost 25-38. During this season, he had reached 800 career receptions. Jones was forced to leave the game due to a hamstring injury sustained during Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. Jones became the Falcons' all-time career receptions leader in that game, beating Roddy White's record of 1. Jones had eight receptions for 137 yards and his first two receiving touchdowns of the season in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings. Jones had seven receptions for 137 yards in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football. Jones suffered with a hamstring injury against the New Orleans Saints in Week 13. He was inactive for the final four games of the 2020 season. Jones, who missed nine out of 16 games due to injury, also finished 41st in receiving yards among 499 eligible players for the 2020 season, with 51 receptions for 771 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Jones was the subject of trade rumors on social media on May 22, 2021. Shannon Sharpe called Jones on May 24, 2021, while live on Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, he asked him if he wanted to stay with the Falcons for the upcoming season. "I'm out of there," Jones replied to Sharpe's query. Jones also told Sharpe that he had no desire to be a Cowboy and that he wanted to play for a winning team. He was ranked 29th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.

The Falcons traded Jones and a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans for their second-round pick and fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on June 6, 2021. Jones opted not to wear jersey No. Due to jersey No. 2, the Titans have two players out. A. J. catches 11 on the ground and takes them for a new one. Brown. Jones was suspended $10,815 for engaging in a brawl with defensive back Byron Murphy during the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, in which the Titans lost 38–13. Jones had his first game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks on September 17th, with six receptions for 128 yards, all of which was called back after the officials determined that his right foot did not land completely in bounds while making the catch. Jones had three receptions for 59 yards in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, but he only got the majority of those yards off the ball bounced off the helmet of defensive back Micah Hyde. Jones was put on injured reserve for a hamstring injury on November 13, 2021. He was activated on December 11 and was able to fly. Jones did not play a game in which he had more than 60 yards receiving or more than five receptions since Week 2. In Week 18 against the Houston Texans in the final game of the regular season, the Titans defeated the Texans by 28–25. He scored his first receiving touchdown of the season. Jones finished the regular season with 31 receptions for 434 passing yards and a receiving touchdown. With a 12–5 regular season record, the Titans clinched the top seed in the AFC. Jones had his best game since the Cincinnati Bengals' Divisional Round against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 of the regular season, with six receptions for 62 yards. Jones was released from the Titans on March 16, 2022.

Jones committed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one-year contract on July 27, 2022. Jones had 3 receptions for 69 yards and 17 rushing yards in a Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. His best catch was a 48 yard reception where he hit a speed of 20.67 mph, the seventh fastest speed by any player in Week 1. Jones was forced to miss significant playing time in Week 1 due to a partially torn PCL.

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Awards and honors

• NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
• 7× Pro Bowl selections (2012, 2014–2019)
• 2× First-team All-Pro (2015, 2016)
• 3× Second-team All-Pro (2017, 2018, 2019)
• 2× NFL receiving yards leader (2015, 2018)
• NFL receptions co-leader (2015)
• NFC Offensive Player of the Month (September 2015)
• 2008 AP SEC Freshman of the Year
• Sporting News SEC Freshman of the Year (2008)
• Sporting News All-Freshman Team (2008)
• AP Second-team All-SEC (2008)
• Playboy Preseason All-American Team (2009, 2010)
• 2009 SEC Championship
• 2010 BCS National Championship
• AP All-SEC Team (2010)
• Coaches' All-SEC Team (2010)
• AP All-American Team (2010)