Why Julio Jones Deserves to Be a First Ballot Hall of Famer
On Friday, Julio Jones announced his retirement via the social media app Squad. "I'm making this announcement today because of the city of Atlanta," Jones said in a video. "Thank you, man. I appreciate y'all. It's nothing but love. I'm doing this on 404 days." After 13 seasons, Jones established himself as one of the all-time greats in the NFL. This piece will go over why he deserves to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when the time comes to enshrine him in five years.
Falcons Reloaded Elite Offense with the Young WR
After finishing 13-3 in 2010, the Atlanta Falcons lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round after placing top-five in both offense and defense. The Falcons followed up their second-best regular season record of all time by securing the sixth-overall pick in the draft. The Cleveland Browns traded their premier pick to the Falcons for Atlanta’s first, second, and fourth-round picks in the 2011 draft as well as Atlanta’s 2012 first-round pick. In hindsight, this is a trade that the Browns would do over if they had a chance to as they selected Phil Taylor, Greg Little, Owen Marecic, and Brandon Weeden with the acquired picks and the Falcons drafted Jones. The rookie out of Alabama came into one of the best situations that a 22-year-old receiver could come into with Roddy White, who had just earned First-Team All-Pro honors the season prior, and Tony Gonzalez, one of the greatest pass-catchers of all time, to learn under while getting the ball thrown to him by Matt Ryan, who had just earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
Jones Headlined Career by Shattering Records
The six-foot-three, 220-pound wide receiver quickly made his presence felt in the league, making his first Pro Bowl in 2012 before overtaking White as the number-one wideout in Atlanta. He led the league in receptions once, receiving yards twice, and receiving yards per game three times in his career, eventually breaking Falcons franchise records for career receptions and receiving yards as well as many other franchise receiving records. Those accomplishments are nothing to be scoffed at in an era where quarterbacks have passed the ball more than ever, solidifying Jones as an all-time great receiver. Adding to his legacy was being the main target on the ‘16 Falcons offense, the offense that is tied for the 10th-highest single-season points scored per game in NFL history with the 2000 Rams. Also, he put together his best postseason performance following that historic regular season as he tied for the most receiving touchdowns with Randall Cobb, averaged 111.3 receiving yards per game, and helped propel the Falcons to their now-infamous 28-3 lead.
Injuries Caught up to the Legend in Late Career
He had an amazing career in Atlanta, but Father Time caught up with him as it does to everyone else. In 2020, he dealt with a nagging hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games. After 10 amazing seasons in Atlanta, he sought a fresh start at 32 years old and was dealt to the Titans to be a complement to AJ Brown. Unfortunately, he suffered another hamstring injury that placed him on injured reserve. When he was active, Jones didn’t look like the game-breaking weapon that he was throughout his career, putting up only a single game with at least 60 yards for the Titans. The Titans released Jones at the start of the offseason and he signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Buccaneers to prove that he could still be a contributor on the football field. However, the injury bug continued to impact him as he suffered a partially torn PCL that forced him to miss many weeks yet again. He played his final season for the Eagles in 2023, signing to their practice squad and appeared in 11 games, cementing his final three seasons on playoff teams after missing the postseason six times with the Falcons.
Jones Accumulated Many Accolades During Career
In NFL history, Jones ranks 27th in career receptions and 16th in career receiving yards. He was also selected to seven Pro Bowls with two First-Team All-Pro selections and three Second-Team All-Pro selections. His exceptional career led him to be selected to the All-Decade Team for the 2010s along with other NFL legends Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, and Calvin Johnson. When all is said and done, Jones will be recognized as one of the greatest receivers of all time which is why he deserves to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
