'Finish What Y'all Started': Colts LB Recruits Julio Jones After Matt Ryan Trade

Darius Leonard is trying to get his new quarterback an old weapon back.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 21, 2022

For a decade, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones were the faces of the Atlanta Falcons.

Matt Ryan

The dynamic duo amounted for nearly 13,000 yards and 60 touchdowns over 10 seasons and were considered to be one of the best QB-WR connections in the NFL.

But after Julio Jones' trade last offseason to the Tennessee Titans and Matt Ryan's trade to the Indianapolis Colts Monday, both players are ex-Falcons. However, there is a chance for them to reunite as teammates in Indy.

Ryan saw a dip in production last year without his true No. 1 receiver on the field. He threw for less than 4,000 yards for the first time since 2010 despite playing in an extra game.

The Titans released Julio Jones last week after a rough year with the team in which he caught a career-low 31 receptions for 434 yards and a touchdown. Now, Jones is looking for a new team.

And his former rival, Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, is taking to social media to campaign for the reunion of the pair.

@juliojones_11 aye man hear me out! Matt have already thrown you a lot of touchdowns in the dome in Atlanta, y’all could finish what y’all started in Atlanta in the dome here in Indy! 👀
— Darius Shaquille Leonard (@dsleon45) March 21, 2022

Matt Ryan

With T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal still unsigned for next season, the Colts are in need of a No. 2 wide receiver opposite Michael Pittman Jr., who managed to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career last season.

While Hilton and Pascal could eventually rejoin the Colts, giving Ryan a security blanket and someone with immediate chemistry would be a strong starting spot for the new Colts offense.

It could also give Jones the opportunity to save his career after his underwhelming year with the Titans.

It sounds like a match made in heaven, or maybe a match made in Atlanta.

Published Mar 21, 2022

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.