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New York Times

NFL legend Julio Jones announces retirement after 13 seasons

By Jelani Scott, Josh Kendall, Brooks Kubena and Joe Rexrode Julio Jones, a future Hall of Fame wide receiver and Atlanta Falcons icon, announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday following a decorated 13-year career. Jones, who turned 36 on Feb. 8, shared the news in a video posted on his social media. The multi-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl receiver leaves the NFL after sitting out the 2024 season, with his last reps coming in 2023 during an 11-game run with the Philadelphia Eagles. Advertisement 'Started when I was eight years old, just a kid from Foley, Alabama. It was an amazing ride,' Jones said after his announcement before thanking his family and all of his former coaches and teammates — including special shout-outs for 'father figure' and former Alabama coach Nick Saban, and his former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. The fact that Jones highlighted his decision to retire on '404 Day,' an unofficial holiday in Atlanta, speaks to the love he still has for the city and the organization where he became one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. Drafted sixth in 2011, Jones quickly emerged as a matchup nightmare following three standout years under Saban at Alabama. The highly-touted wideout earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2012 before going on a tear over the next eight years, earning back-to-back first-team (2015-16) and three-straight second-team All-Pro selections (2017-19), and six additional Pro Bowl nods. In 2016, Jones, a year after tallying a career-high 1,871 yards, played an integral role in leading 11-5 Atlanta to Super Bowl LI. Jones logged his fourth 1,000-yard season (1,409; seven for his career) and 334 yards and three scores in the postseason. He contributed four catches for 87 yards in his lone Super Bowl appearance, a now-infamous 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots in a game where Atlanta led 28-3 midway through the third quarter. Jones' Falcons tenure ended via a trade to the Tennessee Titans in 2021, where he played one season before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Eagles on a pair of one-year deals to close his career. With numerous accolades as well as Falcons and NFL records to his name, Jones leaves a lasting legacy as a player and an inspiration for many of today's top receivers. He retires as the Falcons leader in receiving yards (12,896) and receptions (848), giving him career totals of 13,703 receiving yards, 914 receptions and 66 touchdowns in 166 regular-season games (153 starts). He also recorded 77 receptions, 992 yards and seven TDs in 11 postseason games (10 starts). Advertisement Jones will be remembered for many things in Atlanta, most notably for being the Falcons all-time leading receiver. What he should be remembered for is the spectacular 27-yard catch he made late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI that should have helped Atlanta preserve what was once a 28-3 lead. That catch was mostly washed from memories because of the Patriots' come-from-behind win, and that's a shame. The grab not only was one of the best catches in Super Bowl history, but it also perfectly encapsulated the physical dominance Jones played with for a decade in Atlanta. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder cost the Falcons a total of five draft picks in the deal that allowed them to move from No. 27 to No. 6 in the first round of the 2011 draft, and everyone knew he was worth it from the moment he stepped on the field. In addition to Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods, Jones was also named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2010s in his decade with the Falcons. In his Falcons' career, he had 12,896 yards and 60 touchdowns in the regular season and another 834 yards and six touchdowns in the postseason. His career in Atlanta ended more quietly than it probably should have. He failed to top 450 yards in either of his final two seasons as injuries slowed him in practice and during games, and he was traded to Tennessee in 2021 for a second-round draft pick. Jones has not been a visible presence around the team or the city since he left, but that's likely to change now that his retirement is official. The Falcons sent an email to their fan base less than hour after Jones' announcement thanking him for his time with the team, and Atlanta owner Arthur Blank generally is eager to welcome back local legends. — Josh Kendall, Falcons beat writer Jones will be remembered in Nashville as one of the contributing factors to the end of former GM Jon Robinson's tenure. Advertisement Another receiver – AJ Brown, foolishly traded away on 2022 draft night by Robinson – is the main name that comes to mind, but Robinson trading a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick to the Falcons in 2021 (getting a sixth back) to pair Jones with Brown ended up being a costly move. Jones had a few moments in his lone season with the Titans, and his frequent lack of availability didn't stop the team from grabbing the AFC's No. 1 seed, but that's the season his health went off a cliff. The 2020 season hinted at the possibility, but Robinson didn't take the hint. — Joe Rexrode, Nashville columnist Jones' time in Philadelphia was a humble footnote at the finality of what will likely be a Hall of Fame career. The Eagles, short on depth at the position, signed Jones to a wide receiver room to support two of the next era's stars, Brown and DeVonta Smith. Jones never totaled more than three catches in any of his 12 games with the Eagles, and he rarely logged more than 20 snaps. But he was a respected presence in the locker room and a veteran voice for a franchise that values mentorship for its talented young core. — Brooks Kubena, Eagles staff writer This story will be updated. Photo: Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images