ATLANTA — Julio Jones, renowned as a seven-time Pro Bowler and the all-time leading receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, has officially declared his retirement from professional football on Friday. At the age of 36, Jones opted out of playing in the 2024 season after participating in 11 games in 2023 with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he started in four and logged 11 receptions for 74 yards and four touchdowns.
Jones spent a decade with the Falcons from 2011 to 2021, during which he established franchise records with 848 receptions accumulating 12,896 yards. His tenure with the team also included 60 touchdown receptions, and he was honored as a first-team All-Pro twice, alongside three second-team All-Pro selections. His touchdown record for the Falcons is only surpassed by Roddy White, who achieved 63.
On Friday, the Falcons acknowledged Jones’ retirement by sharing a tribute on the platform X. Spanning 13 seasons in the NFL, Jones amassed a total of 914 receptions for 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns. His career journey also saw him play for the Tennessee Titans in 2021 and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.
Jones notably led the NFL with a career-high 136 receptions for 1,871 yards while with Atlanta in 2015. In the 2018 season, his 113 catches also placed him at the top of the league, as did his 1,677 receiving yards.
In announcing his retirement on the social media platform Squad, Jones expressed gratitude towards Alabama and his college coach, Nick Saban, in addition to acknowledging Atlanta. He conveyed heartfelt appreciation with his words, “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 — it was a hell of a ride. … This was for the city, man, I appreciate you all.”