Seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones signed a one-year contract with the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday.
After an incredibly productive 10-year run with the Atlanta Falcons, Jones bounced between the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 and 2022 before joining the Eagles practice squad Tuesday, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
While the 34-year-old receiver’s best days are certainly behind him, head coach Nick Sirianni will hope his experience can help bolster a passing game that has been largely dependent on Pro Bowler A.J. Brown and just placed speedster Quez Watkins on injured reserve. Jones absolutely brings veteran leadership, but his production has significantly dropped off since his final Pro Bowl appearance in 2019.
Part of the problem has been the offenses he’s played with. One was a Ryan Tannehill-quarterbacked Titans squad that handed the ball to Derrick Henry 27.4 times per game, the other Tom Brady in his final season.
The other issue is one that is much more worrisome considering Jones’ age: an inability to stay on the field.
He hasn’t played more than 10 games since 2019, with hamstring and knee issues keeping him off of the field in each of the following seasons.
He’s also converting fewer of his targets to catches, catching a career-low 55.8 percent of his looks with Brady in 2022 to pair with another personal-worst 12.5 yards per reception.
The good thing for the Eagles is that they won’t need Jones to produce at the same level that made him the active leader in the NFL in receiving yards. Brown should still dominate the target share, but if Jones is any threat he should take some attention away from big-play threat DeVonta Smith and popular red-zone target Dallas Goedert.
Jones also looked solid in the wild-card loss to the Cowboys last season, hauling in seven passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in his final game with Tampa Bay.
Even without him, the Eagles sit at 5-1 with a top-10 passing offense in the NFL despite seeming to underperform according to preseason expectations. This signing likely won’t change the course of Philadelphia’s season, but quarterback Jalen Hurts will certainly still take the veteran help.
