For many years, Julio Jones was the key man in the Atlanta Falcons offense. In 2021, he’ll go to a team where he’s arguably not even the No. 1 wide receiver.
Jones’ trade to the Tennessee Titans likely means fewer targets for the standout wide receiver. The Titans also have to make sure A.J. Brown gets his share of targets, all while simultaneously ensuring that star running back Derrick Henry gets plenty of touches as well. Fortunately, the prospect of a slightly smaller role in the offense isn’t bothering Jones.
“At the end of the day, you want to create a winning culture. However you need to do it, you have to get the job done,” Jones said, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. “My whole career, I’ve never been a stat guy. I’m a team guy. Whatever they need from me I’m going to do, and I will enjoy playing my role at a high level.”
It’s the ideal mindset from the Titans’ standpoint. It probably helps in a certain sense that he was already increasingly sharing targets with Calvin Ridley during his final seasons in Atlanta, so he’s prepared to be a secondary option if he has to be. Still, he got at least 148 targets in three of his last four seasons with the Falcons, so it’s going to be an adjustment.
In case you need more proof that Jones is getting along great with his new counterpart in Brown, just check out the thinking that went into Jones’ new jersey number.
