The Julio Jones era in Atlanta ended on a sour note. The Falcons, pressed up against the salary cap and pent-up acrimony from previous contract talks, dealt away one of the biggest stars in franchise history and one of the best receivers of his generation last June. The price was low for a wideout-needy Tennessee Titans team to jump on; second- and fourth-round draft selections in exchange for a player who’d averaged more than six catches and 95 yards per game over his first decade in the league, along with a sixth-round pick.
And, despite popular sentiment at the time, the Falcons wound up winning that deal.
The Titans are planning on releasing WR Julio Jones, sources tell @AdamSchefter and me
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 16, 2022
Jones lasted just one injury-plagued season in Nashville, posting career lows in catches (31), receiving yards (434), and touchdowns (one). He and AJ Brown were supposed to be the rising tide that lifted Ryan Tannehill’s passing offense. Instead, the two played just eight games together and Tannehill slumped to his worst season as a Titan.
Tennessee finished with the AFC’s best record, but scuttled out of the playoffs with a Divisional Round loss to the Bengals. Jones and Brown combined for 11 catches and 204 receiving yards that afternoon, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a three-interception effort.
That inability to win with both wideouts clicking may have sealed Jones’ fate in Music City. By designating the veteran a post-June 1 release, the Titans will shave more than $9.5 million off their salary cap, per Over the Cap. That’s a big deal for a team that had less than $1 million in spending room on March 16, the first official day of free agency.
Now Jones will likely hit the open market for the first time in his career with something to prove. The five-time All-Pro has only played 19 of a possible 33 games the past two seasons. His 43 receiving yards per game in 2021 was a career low by more than 30 yards.
He’s also only 33 years old and two seasons removed from a 99-catch, 1,394-yard season. At 6’3 and 220 pounds, he has the size and strength to be a force even if his athleticism wanes as he gets older. Which team will be the next to take a shot at this future Hall of Famer?