Alabama Football: Julio Jones leaving the Atlanta Falcons?

Julio Jones may be leaving his only home since his Alabama football days

After making history with Alabama football, Julio Jones instantly became a fan-favorite with the Atlanta Falcons. His freakish athleticism and consistency were appreciated, and his highlights dropped jaws every Sunday.

Jones is one of the best receivers in this era of football, and he’s spent his entire NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons. However, he may be on his way out. According to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, The Falcons are actively shopping Jones in hopes of cutting his salary.

The Falcons have one of the worst NFL cap situations in the NFL, and Julio Jones is one of their few options to save a lot of money. He would still be a cap hit, but the Falcons are desperate.

Atlanta also has plenty of weapons at their disposal on offense. None are as proven as Jones, but they drafted Kyle Pitts in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. They also have Alabama football’s Calvin Ridley at receiver. Ridley emerged as a potential WR1 last year, and. he would likely see more targets if the Falcons choose to trade Jones away.

Losing Jones would be less than ideal for a first-year head coach with a struggling offense to begin with, but the Falcons have few options. They are building for the future, and Julio Jones won’t be a part of their long-term plans. With his increasing salary and age, the timelines don’t match up between the star and the franchise.

Still, Jones brings value to the right team. If someone is looking to win now and feel like they are one star away from a Super Bowl, they will be happy to pull the trigger on Jones. This could be the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans or Baltimore Ravens.

It will be strange to see Julio Jones in a new NFL jersey, but that will likely be the case this upcoming season.