After spending the first decade of his prolific NFL career as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Julio Jones spent last season as part of the wide receiver room in Tennessee. His year with the Titans was not as prolific as one might have anticipated heading into the campaign, and now, Jones is making his return to the NFC South.
The catch: The veteran free agent pass catcher will not return to Atlanta. Instead, Jones will become the latest veteran to join forces with Tom Brady in an attempt to win his first career Super Bowl as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones is signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per source. The soon-to-be 45-year Tom Brady now will have a chance to throw to the 33-year-old Jones.
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2022
Schefter reported that the Green Bay Packers were likewise is on Jones, but ultimately, the Bucs did the best job in making him a priority.
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.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2022
Despite Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, Jones will join a talented group of pass catchers in Tampa Bay. Mike Evans is one of the league’s most difficult covers due to his size and catch radius, while the team got some good news on Tuesday when it was announced that Chris Godwin will be ready for training camp after tearing his ACL on Jan. 3.
Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, caught 31 balls for 434 yards and one touchdown in 10 games last season and was released at the end of the year.