Getty Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons.
There have been rumors swirling like wildfire on Twitter about a deal going down between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons over Julio Jones.
But here’s the catch. The account which first tweeted it was a fake account and it went viral on Twitter, obviously because people love juicy rumors and there’s plenty of journalists out there who don’t fact check.
Fact Check
However, one journalist and NFL Insider Benjamin Allbright took the initiative to call out Mo Chanel.
So, if you’re still believing the fake news going around, here’s your fact check from a credible source.
You have to laugh at this and it surely isn’t the first time Julio Jones’ name has been falsy floating around. The Falcons wouldn’t do that to their team or fans and the Patriots would have to give more than an arm and a leg for him.
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Jones Is A Staple in Atlanta
The Falcons drafted Julio with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
Although there have been some ups and downs with Jones and the Falcons franchise, he will not be going anywhere. Julio Jones is a staple to the Atlanta Falcons organization and to the fans, sorry New England fans.
Jones, a 7x Pro Bowler, has a $66 million dollar contract the runs through 2023, and is the Falcons were to release him, they would still have to fork up $31 million which they can’t afford to do right now with other priorities.
Although the Falcons finished the 2019 season with a 7-9 record, they still ended the year on a six-game winning streak, and Jones play practically carried the offense on his back.
Jones ended last season with career highs, breaking memorable records. For starters, he took over Jerry Rice’s record in receiving yards having 12,000 in less than 17 games this season. He reeled in 99 catches for 1,394 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season and provided exciting touchdowns each week.
Jones Expected to Recieve Beyond 1,500 Yards in 2020
Entering his 10th NFL season in 2020, bigger things are still on the horizon for Jones. To reach another historical milestone Jones just needs 1,151 receiving yards.
If the seven-time Pro Bowler reaches that number in receiving yards, he will surpass Jerry Rice’s (13,275 yards) for the most receiving yards through a player’s first 10 seasons in NFL history.
Pro Football Focus most created an algorithm in order to project which NFL wide receivers are the best bets to top 1,000 yards in 2020. Jones and even No. 2 option Calvin Ridley made the top 23 list.
Jones stands at the very top of the list with no surprise there. Jones hasn’t finished out of the top three in receiving yards in the past seven seasons. PFF has Jones receiving for 1,628 yards, 234 yards more than he finished in 2019.
So far this season, Jones has recorded 11 receptions for 181 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown. The 31-year-old is dealing with a hamstring issue and miss Week 3. He’s still questionable for Week 4.
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