Getty Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons.
When the Falcons took the field on Sunday in their loss to the Chargers, they were without one of their receiving weapons, Julio Jones, for the third time this season.
Jones has been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury all season which he injured in Week 1.
When interim coach Raheem Morris announced Jones would be out again, he also added that the team would be making a decision later on as to sideline Jones for the remainder of the 2020 season or not.
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Julio Jones Injured His Hamstring Week 1
Aside from missing a few games this season, Jones has also been limited several other times. You can tell it’s been bothersome all season as he limps off the field or is seen getting stretched out on the sidelines.
He made it to Week 11 before hurting it again and sat out in Week 12, but returned Week 13 in which he played a season-high of 94 snaps, reeling in six of 10 passes for 94 yards the Falcons second loss to the Saints.
If Jones were to remain sidelined now, he would finish the season with 51 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns, a career-high 75 percent catch rate, and 11.3 yards per target. However, his 771 yards would break his seven-year streak of reaching 1,000 yards or more.
Why It Makes Sense to Sit Jones
At 4-9, the Falcons’ hopes of making the playoffs are out the window, so there is no reason for Jones to hurry back into the starting lineup and risk an even more serious injury.
Now into his early 30s, Jones doesn’t heal as fast as he used to. He has three more seasons left on his contract extension with the Falcons and that will be more important to playing out those 48 games than ending his career early.
Even with Jones sidelined, we have seen the Falcons pull off a win, well thanks to their defense. But, with the Falcons season basically over, the only thing they have to look forward to next is the 2021 NFL Draft, and losing more games just means a better chance at a top 10 spot.
At Least The Falcons Have Calvin Ridley
With Julio possible out of the lineup, at least the Falcons have rising star Calvin Ridley.
The third-year wideout made it a goal this season to reach 1,000 yards and he did that during the loss to the Chargers.
Entering Week 14, all Ridley needed was 95 yards to reach his goal and the 2018 first-round pick out of Alabama did exactly that in the first half against LA.
With three more games to go, Ridley currently has 63 catches for 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this season.
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Falcons Raheem Morris Hints Julio Jones Could Miss Rest of 2020 Season