No matter the sport, retirement comes for all. For people in contact or bat-and-ball sports, it comes sooner rather than later as age catches up with them. Slowly, their performance and speed on the field dwindles.
Also, they find themselves getting dropped from teams they have been a part of for most of their careers. Julio Jones is also dealing with a kind of retirement this season.
No, Julio Jones hasn’t officially retired yet. However, at 34 years old and suffering from endless injuries, plus after giving multiple low performances on the field, his career seems to be at an end. The Hall of Fame contender is a free agent this season and looking for a team. Many think the Atlanta Falcons should approach him.
Did Julio Jones Retire?
Julio Jones is still renowned as one of the finest Atlanta Falcons. But it has become clear over the last two seasons that the player isn’t the beast he once was. He has consistently hit low yardage and has also become very injury prone.
This has made people speculate if he will retire this season. However, Julio Jones hasn’t officially announced his retirement. So he isn’t retiring as of yet.
In the 2011 NFL Draft, he was the number 6 overall pick. At 6ft 3in, he looks formidable in the field and has delivered on the threat for a decade.
Jones has 63 touchdowns and 13,629 career receiving yards to her name, which should easily make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. For Atlanta, he is their all-time leading receiver.
Julio is currently 16th in the ranks of all-time receiving yards. If he can play another season, he might sneak into the top ten. However, one has to wonder if Julio has anything left to give to the game.
He was willing to do whatever it took to get that touchdown in his younger years. His playing style was brutal, and fans loved him for it. But age hasn’t been kind to him, and his physical playing style has cost him the later stages of his career.
Jones finds himself adrift in the ocean two years after leaving Atlanta. The 34-year-old is a free agent this offseason, and the Tampa Buccaneers will have to decide whether they want to bring one of the best in the game back.
He carried out only two touchdowns and caught just 24 passes for 299 yards previously for the Bucs. A dismal performance from one of the greatest receivers of the era. Jones is still unemployed even though he has been linked with the Patriots and the Cowboys, apart from the Falcons.
Since Julio announced to the Falcons fans that he was leaving their Atlanta team on an awkward phone call on FS1’s Undisputed, they have soured a bit on the legend.
But returning to the Atlanta team remains the best way forward for Julio because he has the experience their young guns need in the locker room. He could also come cheap since he accepted the Tampa deal in 2022 for $6 million.
If not, some think he should sign a one-day contract to retire as a Falcon. However, if that isn’t an option, straight retirement from the game is always open.
What are your thoughts about Julio Jones’ current predicament?
Should he retire from the game? Should he wait to get picked up by a team? Or should he contact the Atlanta Falcons for another chance?
Let us know in the comments below.
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