Former Falcons WR Julio Jones signs with Eagles’ practice squad

Yes, you read that correctly. Yes, I’m just as surprised as you are!

The Eagles shored up their practice squad today with a future Hall of Famer and former Falcons wide receiver: the one and only Julio Jones.

Jones played for the Falcons from 2011, when the Falcons traded up to select him at No. 2 overall, through the 2020 season. During that time, he amassed 12,896 receiving yards and 60 touchdowns. He’s had stints with the Titans (2021) and Buccaneers (2022), but didn’t look like the same player he was in his prime — not surprising considering the wear and tear on his body at age 34.

The Eagles have signed Jones to the practice squad (not a sentence I ever thought I would type!), but I don’t expect that to last. Jones re-joins his former Titans teammate, A.J. Brown, in Philadelphia.

Philly is 5-1 and coming off of a brutal upset by the New York Jets — the first Eagles loss to the Jets in team history. In addition to Brown, Jones joins a wide receivers depth chart that includes 2021 10th overall pick Devonta Smith (from Jones’ alma mater, Alabama), and former Falcons teammate Olamide Zaccheaus. The Eagles won’t need Julio to be THE guy with Brown and Smith on the roster, which probably raises the ceiling for him a bit.

I know that the way Julio’s time in Atlanta ended left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths, which I understand. I am looking forward to seeing him on the field again — it’ll be interesting to see how he fits into the Eagles’ offense.