Not long after he was selected sixth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Julio Jones became one of the league's elite wide receivers.
Jones would go on to become one of the greatest Atlanta Falcons players of all time, turning in a Hall of Fame-worthy career that lasted 13 seasons in total and saw seven Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro nods.
The 36-year-old Jones, who last played in 2023 for the Philadelphia Eagles, officially announced his retirement on Friday afternoon.
"Today, I'm announcing my retirement," Jones said to begin his announcement. "Started when I was 8 years old, just a kid from Foley, Alabama. It was an amazing ride."
Jones' decorated career concludes with 914 receptions for 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns. His yardage stands as 16th in NFL history, while his 848 catches and 12,896 yards with the Falcons are franchise records, just ahead of former teammate Roddy White. Jones' 60 Falcons TD grabs are second behind White's 63 -- though the latter played 36 more games with Atlanta than Jones did.
"I'm making this announcement today because of the city of Atlanta. Thank you, man, I appreciate y'all. It's nothing but love. I'm doing this on 404 day," Jones said, referencing the unofficial April 4 holiday in Atlanta. "It was a hell of a ride. I also want to thank the other ball clubs out there, as well, the organizations. Tennessee, thank you for the opportunity. Tampa Bay, thank you for the opportunity. Eagles, thank you for the opportunity. But this one's for the city, man. I appreciate y'all."
A member of the Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team, Jones is certain to have a bust in Canton, Ohio, and will become eligible for candidacy in 2028 -- five years after his last year played.
Jones' final year in the NFL will stand as 2023, when he joined the Eagles as an in-season addition. The last two touchdowns of his career came in a Dec. 31, 2023, loss to the Arizona Cardinals, each of them thrown by Jalen Hurts.
It was a footnote to a career that will be long remembered for highlight after highlight in Atlanta, most of them beginning with the right arm of quarterback Matt Ryan and ending in the sure hands of Jones.
Ryan, taken third overall in 2008, had a go-to target in White, but Jones' arrival quickly changed things.
Jones would go on to collect 65 TD grabs from Ryan, forming one of the most formidable QB-WR duos in league chronicle.
Jones produced seven 1,000-yard seasons -- all in Atlanta -- from 2012 through 2019, the only exception coming in 2013 when a foot injury limited him to five games.
Twice during that span, Jones led the NFL in receiving yards. That included a season for the ages in 2015 when he paced the NFL with 136 catches -- the second of three 100-catch campaigns -- and 1,871 yards, third-most in a single year in league history.
A year later, Jones and the Falcons were bound for Super Bowl LI. A legendary Super Bowl that was the first to be settled in overtime, Atlanta fell victim to a rally for the ages when the New England Patriots came back from what stands as a now-infamous 28-3 Falcons lead for a 34-28 Pats triumph.
Jones had four catches for 87 yards in the game, which was his only postseason outing during that season without a TD. For the most part, Jones proved clutch in playoff games, tallying 77 catches for 992 yards and seven scores in 11 games -- eight with Atlanta.
Injuries began to pile up for Jones in his final seasons.
He played just nine games in 2020 -- his last year with the Falcons.
Jones' exit from Atlanta after a decade of excellence came via a trade request fulfilled. He was sent to Tennessee, but left behind his best years.
He lasted only one year and 10 games with the Titans, getting released after the 2021 season.
He was signed by the Buccaneers ahead of the 2022 campaign, a big name worth of making news, but little impact.
It does nothing to erase what once was with Jones in Atlanta, though.
He was one of the elite for nearly 10 straight seasons, producing massive statistics as readily as jaw-dropping catches.
A seemingly can't-miss prospect coming out of Alabama, where he starred for Nick Saban, Jones became a Falcons fixture and a Hall of Fame talent.
His countdown to Canton technically started after his last game, but now it's begun in earnest, as one of the greatest Falcons ever has officially hung up his cleats.
