The Titans will make Julio Jones a one-and-done in Tennessee. The future Hall of Fame wide receiver will be released, Dianna Russini and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com report (on Twitter).
Tennessee traded a second-round pick for Jones last year, but the longtime Atlanta star could not shake the hamstring trouble that plagued him during his final Falcons season. If the Titans do not designate Jones as a post-June 1 cut, they will take on more than $13MM in dead money. The Titans are, in fact, using the June 1 designation Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This will save the team more than $9MM this year.
While this will make Jones a first-time free agent, he is not hitting the market with momentum. The All-Decade wideout ripped off a record-setting stretch from 2014-19, surpassing 1,390 yards in each season and making six straight Pro Bowls. But injury absences began to pile up in 2020. That proved to be a bad sign for the Titans, who could only get 10 games out of the high-level trade acquisition.
Jones caught just 31 passes for 434 yards — both career-low marks; even Jones’ five-game 2013 season produced better numbers — and saw his hamstring injury keep leading to missed time. Tennessee’s Jones-A.J. Brown tandem did not come to fruition, with Brown also struggling on the health front. But Brown will be due a big payday soon. Jones’ Falcons-constructed contract will no longer be part of the Titans’ equation at that point.
Having turned 33 this offseason, Jones may attract some interest. Draft classmate A.J. Green managed to land a reasonable Cardinals deal despite an injury-marred ending to his Bengals run. Any Jones contract figures to be a fairly low-cost deal, however. He signed a $22MM-per-year extension with the Falcons in 2019; two years remained on that pact prior to Wednesday’s move.
Yikes. Cap compliance day is never dull.
This doesn’t help them comply with the cap. They have to carry his salary on the books until June 1.
It’s still them making tough decisions just in time for the league year to start.
Haha superstar to broken down bum in no time at all. Attitude matches his health.
Hof career. 33. $140.6 million made. Im sure hes going to be just fine.
You have a bad attitude and you only comment on football.
cool story but you’re a liar
Overrated.
Top 20 all time receiving yards, x2 First team All pro, x3 second team all pro, x2 receiving yards leader in a season, 25th in all time receptions, most receiving yards per game of all time, yeaaaa the future HOFer is so overrated…
Go to the Saints on a cheap one-year deal.
If he takes a cheap one-year deal, my guess is he’d choose a team with at least one successful quarterback. One final chance at a ring…
Starting to smell like the Raiders in here.
Lol hell of a trade for the birds
Line him up opposite Devante – assuming a team friendly contract for a wounded 33 year old WR.
I would try to get a deal done with Adams before you even think about spending money on a receiver. Would be a slap in the face to Adams on top of the slap in the face of the tag.
Getting a 2nd round pick for him was masterful. He is the type of player than can only give you a half a season so If I was a team like Green Bay, I would sign him and let him rest and get healthy for the first 8 games and play him full tilt the last 9 because if they make the playoffs, that could be another big chunk of games.
Julio Hamstrings Jones
Eagles please
Just makes what dudes like T.O., Moss, and Rice did even that much more impressive. Maybe Calvin Johnson was onto something when he retired early. Didn’t want to become like Julio and drag things out and leave on a bad note. I hope this isn’t how it ends for Julio, but damn it’s not looking good right now
Cost the Titans bigly last season. When Brown was hurt they had nothing but C grade and worse on the field for Tannehill.