‘Turn Back Time’: Would Traded Julio Jones Help These Atlanta Falcons?
The Atlanta Falcons aren't the only ones with injury trouble this week as former Falcon Julio Jones is set to miss his second straight week for the Tennessee Titans with a hamstring injury.
READ MORE: Falcons Injury News goes from Bad to Worse
Jones has had a rough start to his life as a Titan. He pushed for a trade in the offseason, and the Falcons sent him to the Titans in June along with a 2023 sixth-round pick in exchange for the Titans' second-round pick in 2022 and fourth-round pick in 2023.
Jones didn't play in any of the preseason games and had only three catches for 39 yards in his debut, a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals. That game was remembered more for Jones' personal foul than his play on the field.
Titans' head coach Mike Vrabel called out Jones' lack of discipline after the game.
"That’s absolutely nothing we coach or teach," said Vrabel. “So that would fall under the category of doing dumb s--- that hurts the team. Right there in bold letters."
Jones bounced back against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 with six catches for 128 yards, but he was held in check the next week against the Indianapolis Colts with three catches for 47 yards.
Jones missed last week's game, an overtime loss to the New York Jets, and he has been ruled out this week as well.
After five weeks, Jones' numbers will look a pedestrian 12 catches for 204 yards and no touchdowns.
Jones was injured a significant amount of time his final season with the Falcons. He played in just nine games, and his 51 catches were the second lowest number of his career when he had 41 catches in an injury shortened 2013 season.
The Falcons are in London this week against the New York Jets, and they will be missing their top two receivers Calvin Ridley (personal) and Russell Gage (ankle). Falcons fans lamented the trade of Julio Jones, but he might not have been much help to Atlanta this season, either.
He sure isn't helping the Tennessee Titans yet.
