Why did Julio Jones leave the Atlanta Falcons? Timeline of WR's trade
Julio Jones has been separated from the Atlanta Falcons for most of 2021 and now resides in Tennessee. For those who were paying attention during the offseason, Jones' exit from the Falcons felt like it was out of left field and happened quickly.
One second, Jones was with the Falcons. The next second, he was with the Titans.
What happened? Here's a look at what led to his trade.
What led to Julio Jones' trade: 2011-2019
Julio Jones has spent the last ten seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. For ten years, Julio Jones was Matt Ryan's right-hand man.
Through the ups and downs, Jones was there. Between 2011 and 2019, Jones had at least 950 yards in eight of those nine seasons.
His best season came in 2015 when the star wide receiver had a whopping 136 catches for 1871 yards and eight touchdowns. However, after losing the Super Bowl in 2016 after leading by a score of 28-3, Jones started a downward trend and nothing was quite the same.
When the Falcons drafted Calvin Ridley to be the future in 2018, Jones became less important to the organization and he felt it.
Over the next few years, the Falcons struggled to win games, with his participation rapidly dwindling. As such, Jones grew fed up with the organization.
Julio Jones' trade: 2020
In 2020, Jones missed most of the season due to a series of hamstring injuries. In the Falcons' perspective, the end was near for the relationship between the two parties.
Now 32 years old and facing pressure to stay on the field, Jones decided he wanted out.
The #Titans have placed WR Julio Jones on Injured Reserve. He’s out three games.
Julio Jones trade: May-June 2021
Eventually, enough was enough for the star wide receiver. During the offseason, while Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson were soaking up the attention, Jones made a statement.
On Undisputed, the Fox debate show with Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe, Jones was very clear.
"I'm out of there, man," Jones said.
In a busy period of the offseason in which teams were reeling from their decisions in free agency and the NFL Draft, Jones' statement cut through the noise like a judge's gavel.
The Falcons heard him loud and clear. As they had been working towards his end for some time, they were prepared for this moment.
Jones had requested a trade months earlier, and the Falcons were well aware of his frustrations. However, with Jones now going public on television, the issue was brought to the forefront.
According to Falconholic, this happened on May 24, 2021. At the same time, the Titans were thinking about the next move they could make.
They had a servicable quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. They had a budding wide receiver in AJ Brown.
However, they also had arguably the best running back in football with Derrick Henry. They already had a great team, but they needed a "super team."
The #Titans have used 82 players this year... record is 84.
Derrick Henry is on IR.
Julio Jones is on IR.
AJ Brown days ago opened up about his battle w/ depression & revealed he thought about taking his own life a year ago.
How is this team 8-2?
Culture. Built by Mike Vrabel. https://t.co/t9rXysDeCs
Adding Julio Jones would make that a possibility. After weeks of deliberations, Jones was added to the team on June 6, 2021.
The Titans sent the Falcons a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. In return, they got Julio Jones and a 2023 sixth-round draft pick, according to Sporting News.
Julio Jones' stats so far with Titans
Put simply, it hasn't been a Jones-esque year in his maiden voyage with the Titans. The wide receiver has been dealing with injuries all season long and could have his least productive season to date.
Through six games, Jones has 21 catches for 336 yards and no touchdowns.
His only great game came against the Seattle Seahawks, who are now ranked 31st in the NFL in defense. In the game, Jones earned six catches for 128 yards.
The Titans will be hoping for one more of these games in the playoffs. Ideally, one that could put them over the hump in the Super Bowl.