Julio Jones rejects Aaron Rodgers and Packers, joins Tom Brady to win Super Bowl
Wide receiver Julio Jones has a new home in the NFL. On Tuesday, the 33-year-old became the latest offensive weapon for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jones spent last season with the Tennessee Titans. He played ten games, caught 34 passes for 434 yards and a touchdown, and reportedly rejected the advances of back-to-back NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to side with Tom Brady.
ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that the Packers made a move for the 33-year-old, but it was Brady and the Buccaneers who were the most aggressive in getting Jones to Tampa.
Julio Jones drew interest from, amongst others, the Green Bay Packers and Buccaneers. But Tampa was the most aggressive in giving its QB a new offensive weapon.
The Buccaneers' offensive weapons now look far healthier than they did a couple of weeks ago. Already equipped with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage (acquired from Atlanta), Cameron Brate, Scott Miller, Breshad Perriman, and Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay have now added a true star receiver.
Just how much the 33-year-old has left in the tank remains to be seen, as he has not played 16 games in a season since 2018. But the situation he is going into now could be just the tonic for him to rediscover his lethal form.
Will Julio Jones make the Buccaneers Super Bowl favorites?
Quite possibly, and given the embarrassment of riches currently at Tom Brady's disposal, we could see the very best of Jones yet again.
At one stage during his career, the 33-year-old was the best receiver in football while with the Atlanta Falcons. His huge size and blistering speed meant that opposing defenses were almost powerless to stop him.
Having dealt with several injuries over the last two seasons, if the former Falcons and Titans star can put those behind him, he adds a whole new dimension to the Buccaneers offense.
Having two star receivers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin when he returns) that will command the attention of the defense, Jones will get a lot of favorable looks while being one-on-one with a defender. Despite his injury history, that is an absolute nightmare for a defender.
With Brady one of the best at manipulating defenses, the 33-year-old is sure to get some favorable looks on the field, especially in the red zone, where he can use his size to his advantage.
One of the best things about this move is that Tampa Bay has gotten a receiver who has a powerful reputation in the league. With a host of other star receivers running around, the former Falcons superstar will likely get a lot of soft coverage as defenses will be worried about others.
It is a shrewd piece of business from the Buccaneers and one that could prove pivotal in the Super Bowl race in 2022/23.