Has Falcons Legend Julio Jones Played Last NFL Game?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Julio Jones caught a touchdown in the team's Wild Card loss against the Dallas Cowboys. Could that have been the final game for the Atlanta Falcons future Hall-of-Famer?

Jeremy Brener | Jan 18, 2023

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting their offseason after losing to the Dallas Cowboys Monday night in the Wild Card round.

Several questions surround the Bucs and the future of some key veterans. While most of that attention is going Tom Brady's way, Atlanta Falcons legend Julio Jones also faces an unpredictable future.

Jones, who turns 34 next month, is a free agent this offseason and the Bucs will have to decide whether or not to bring the future Hall of Fame wideout back.

Jones caught just 24 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns this season after he was buried in the depth chart by Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and fellow former Falcons teammate Russell Gage.

That being said, Jones made a big impact in the playoff game, catching seven passes for 74 yards and a touchdown, proving that he has a little bit left in the tank. However, most of his stats came during garbage time.

If this is it for Jones, he'll go down as one of the great receivers of his era and certainly one of the best players in Falcons franchise history. Perhaps before he hangs his cleats up for good, he'll sign a one-day contract to retire as a Falcon.

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Published Jan 18, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.