A.J. Brown Makes Public Pitch to Julio Jones
If the Tennessee Titans did trade for Julio Jones, there would be questions about who is the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, Jones for A.J. Brown?
On Tuesday, Brown sent a voice message via Instagram and said he’d take a backseat to the seven-time Pro Bowler if the Titans decided to make a move for Jones, who on. Monday said on national television that he no longer desires to be with the Atlanta Falcons.
It’s well known that Brown has long looked up to Jones, and he has even been seen wearing his No. 11 jersey.
“Come vibe with me, bro,” Brown, a 2020 Pro Bowler, said in the voice message to Jones. “You know I got your back, bro. Trust me, bro. If you want to carry the load, you can carry the load. But if you get tired, you know I’ll carry you, bro.”
Brown did, however, say that he will not give up No. 11. He revealed that he tried to get No. 1 when the NFL reformed jersey number rules earlier this spring, but that number, which belongs to Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, was retired by the franchise years ago.
“You’re going to have to rock number 8,” Brown said. “You already know all of this. But hey, just come mess with your boy. Real talk, man.”
Numerous gambling outlets have named the Titans a favorite to land Jones, who has spent his entire 10-year career with the Falcons. They are a logical destination because the two-time All-Pro would be a massive upgrade over the several unproven receivers that currently sit behind Brown on the depth chart.
The push for the Titans to make a deal for Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is starting to feel similar to the Jadeveon Clowney watch that dragged on through all of last summer.
Several current and former players have endorsed the possibility, including star running back Derrick Henry, former running back Chris Johnson and safety Kevin Byard, who responded to Brown’s tweet, saying “I 100% support this message!”
The thought of Brown and Jones as the Titans’ top wide receivers should scare defenses in the AFC South and throughout the rest of the league.
Jones has caught 848 career passes for 12,896 yards and 60 touchdowns. In 11 games last season, he caught 51 passes for 771 yards and three touchdowns. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the six seasons before 2020.
Brown has emerged as one of the top young stars at the position. The 2019 second-round pick has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first two seasons, setting or coming close to several franchise records.
On Monday, Shannon Sharpe, who co-hosts Undisputed, a popular talk show, called Jones on live television. Jones said that he “wants to win.”
Brown stressed to Jones at the end of his voice message that the Titans need a few more pieces to reach their ultimate goal, which is the Super Bowl.
“We are waiting on you over here,” Brown said. “You said you want to win, right? We just need a couple more pieces. Trust me.”
