Former Falcons great Julio Jones retires

The potential future Hall of Famer and all-time leading Falcons receiver hangs up his cleats.

Julio Jones stepped into a situation with plenty of pressure in Atlanta after former general manager Thomas Dimitroff gave up a haul to trade up and grab him. Greatness was the immediate expectation, and greatness is a tough thing for a young receiver with those kinds of expectations to achieve.

But we know how this story goes: Julio Jones was great, and the signs of that greatness were there immediately. They were there in year one when he put up nearly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns in just 13 games, and in year two when he put up nearly 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in that brilliant 2012 season. They were there when he returned from a devastating injury that derailed 2013 to put up nearly 1,600 yards in 2014, when he led the league in receiving in 2015 and 2018, when he made one of the most brilliant catches of all-time in the Super Bowl we’d otherwise like to forget, when he cashed in five straight seasons of over 1,400 yards.

The ending of that story with our favorite franchise, with the messy out and the Shannon Sharpe appearance and the trade to the Titans, obviously mars its power for some Atlanta Falcons fans. But when his time in Atlanta was over, Julio was widely recognized as one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, and he held almost every major receiving record for the franchise besides touchdowns, which is still a mark that belongs to fellow great Roddy White. The quiet end to his career elsewhere, after repeated injuries took their toll and the brilliant connection he built with Matt Ryan was extinguished, was a footnote to those years that made him a Falcons great.

After spending 2024 out of the league, Julio announced his retirement on Friday. The tributes poured in from fans and NFLers alike, with Jones saying he chose April 4th (404) as the day for his announcement because of his love for Atlanta. There’s a very good chance he’ll wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few years down the line.

There are quite a few Falcons greats from the past two decades who deserve recognition, but the most successful era of Atlanta football ever came from 2008-2017 or so, and Matt Ryan and Julio Jones were the brightest lights of that era. It’s only fitting that the connection between the two fueled so many big moments and so many wins over that span.

What Julio brought to the offense was playmaking potency, an ability to do impossible things at a level that made the Falcons almost impossible to stop at times. He could outrun you, outjump you, outwork you, and ultimately embarrass you. At his peak, Julio could turn a terrific ball from Ryan into an act of arson, lighting a defense’s best-laid plans and careful coverages on fire. Just ask the Carolina Panthers.

Julio’s 10 years in Atlanta ended with 12,896 yards on 848 receptions alongside 60 touchdowns, marks that put him first in team history (aside from touchdowns) and 16th and 27th in NFL history. Beyond the numbers, there was a respect for Jones from every corner of the league that made him seem larger than life, ranging from the poor defensive backs who had to try to keep him in check to the receivers who came into the league idolizing him. There was a sense that he was an all-time NFL great long before he retired, and given that many fans and pundits believed that’s what he would have to be to justify that big trade to get him, mission accomplished.

We wish Julio the best in retirement, and look forward to seeing him join the Falcons Ring of Honor with old teammates like Ryan and Roddy White soon enough.