Julio Jones has been arguably the best wide receiver in football for several years now, but the Atlanta Falcons star says the best is yet to come.
Jones had 1,677 receiving yards last season and a career high of 1,871 back in 2015, and he wants to become the first player in NFL history to have 2,000 or more yards receiving in a season. That would be an incredible feat, but Jones is aiming much higher.
“Well, I’m not a prediction-type guy, but I might mess around and go three (thousand), you know what I’m talking about,” Jones told D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Ledbetter noted that Jones made the remark with a straight face. The six-time Pro Bowler also said he plans on “going crazy” this season.
“I’m not ever going to lie to you, I’m going crazy this year,” Jones said. “I’m going crazy. I’ve been doing everything that I need to do. I’m taking care of my body. Physically and mentally, I’ll be ready to go.”
Jones has not been fully cleared to practice as he recovers from a foot injury, but Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that he expects that to change within the next two weeks. The team is obviously just playing it safe with Jones, who wants a new contract but is not letting it affect his preparation.
For those who are wondering, the NFL record for receiving yards in a season is 1,964, set by Calvin Johnson in 2012. There’s absolutely no chance Jones is going to get to 3,000, but 2,000 is attainable if he stays healthy.
