Falcons Legend Julio Jones Signs with Division Rival

Julio Jones has a new home.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 26, 2022

After a year away from the NFC South, former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones wants back in the division.

But instead of returning to the Falcons, his home from 2011-20, he is signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ESPN was the first to report the news.

From the moment the Falcons moved up 21 picks to select Jones in the 2011 NFL Draft, the receiver played an integral role in guiding the franchise to one of its most successful decades, headlined by four playoff appearances.

Throughout his career in Atlanta, Jones caught for over 1000 yards in seven seasons and led the NFL in receiving in 2015 and 2018. His 12,896 receiving yards are the most in franchise history after surpassing Roddy White late in his Falcons tenure.

After an injury-riddled 2020 season and the writing on the wall leading to a rebuild, Jones was ready for a new chapter.

Though Jones claimed he'd be a "Falcon for life," the former Alabama star parted ways with Atlanta last offseason. Seemingly wanting no part of the Falcons' new regime, Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans, whom he played 10 games for prior to being released in March.

After his release from the Titans, many had hoped he would join the Indianapolis Colts to reunite with Matt Ryan or return to Atlanta to finish what he started. Instead, he joins Tom Brady, reunites with his former teammate Russell Gage and joins one of the best receiving corps in the league.

Published Jul 26, 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.