Wow: the Tennessee Titans placed wide receiver Julio Jones on injured reserve Saturday, meaning the longtime Atlanta Falcons wide receiver will not suit up against his former New Orleans Saints rivals. He’s been managing a hamstring issue all season but aggravated that injury in Thursday’s practice session and was officially listed as questionable to play against the Saints, but instead he’ll be shut down for at least three weeks to rest up. Here’s to a full recovery.
It also means that Jones will have to wait until the Saints see Tennessee again for an opportunity to catch another touchdown pass against them. Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams’ secondary kept him out of the end zone from their first days in the NFL after being drafted together in 2017.
The Titans are scheduled to visit New Orleans in 2023, having hosted the Saints last in 2019 before playing them again this season as part of the NFL’s expanded 17-game season. Jones will be 34 at that point and in the final year of his contract with Tennessee, so there’s a very real possibility that he ends up finishing his NFL career with fewer touchdown catches (3) than fumbles lost against the Saints (4) despite having played 18 games against the black and gold in his pro career. It’s such a shame the Falcons weren’t able to get more out of someone with his talents after burning a couple draft classes worth of picks to trade for him in the first place, but that’s just how the cookie (and a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl) crumbles.
