Colts' GM Ballard: Julio Jones Reports "Are Wrong"

Colts' General Manager Chris Ballard shoots down the offseason-long Julio Jones rumors in his opening press conference.

The long-speculated reunion between Julio Jones and Matt Ryan seems all but dead, as Indianapolis Colts' General Manager Chris Ballard all but killed that pipe dream in his opening press conference at Training Camp.

While there have been reports circling about the Colts potentially pursuing the former All-Pro receiver, Ballard quickly shot down those rumors at the start of camp. In a press conference with team reporters, Ballard said that he knows "there's reports out there, but those reports are wrong."

Colts have had no discussions about Julio Jones.

Ballard: "I know there's reports out there, but those reports are wrong"

— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) July 26, 2022

Jones, 33, is a future Hall of Fame receiver that has amassed over 13,000 yards receiving in his NFL career. He found a majority of that success in Atlanta, playing alongside Colts' quarterback Matt Ryan, where he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons, appearing in just 19 of 33 games since 2020.

The reports that Ballard referenced are out there, ESPN's Bill Barnwell linked Jones to the Colts, the just never truly showed any interested. Colts' Beat Reporter wrote back in the Spring that the team was not interested in the veteran wide receiver, so this news should not come as a surprise to anybody that closely follows local media.

Still, the questions still remain at wide receiver for the Colts. Outside of Michael Pittman Jr, does the team have enough firepower to fuel a strong passing game in 2022? Even with Julio Jones off of the board, the team certainly has to be looking at veteran receivers to add into the mix this offseason.

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