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Factoid

Julio hangs them up

Next stop, Hall of Fame

Julio Jones officially announced his retirement yesterday. He didn't play in 2024, and hadn't been a significant player since Atlanta in 2020. But he was something else in his prime.

Those last three seasons (bouncing around with the Titans, Bucs and Eagles) all happened, and can't just be removed from the equation. But looking strictly at his Atlanta career (2011-2020), Jones was a monster, averaging 6.3 catches and 96 yards per game. Twice he led the league in receiving yards, while five times he averaged over 100 yards per game.

Even if we include those final three nomadic seasons, during which he managed only 807 total yards in 31 games, his career numbers are remarkable. Jones averaged 83 yards per game, which ranks him 3rd since the 1970 merger, among all wide receivers to play at least 100 games. (Table cropped at 60 yards.) Only Calvin Johnson and Antonio Brown have been better.

WIDE RECEIVERS YARDS PER GAME (MINIMUM 100 GAMES)
PlayerGRecYdsY/RTDY/G
Calvin Johnson1357311161915.98386.1
Antonio Brown1469281229113.28384.2
Julio Jones1669141370315.06682.5
Tyreek Hill1417981109813.98278.7
Torry Holt1739201338214.57477.4
Marvin Harrison19011021458013.212876.7
Jerry Rice30315492289514.819775.6
Mike Evans1688361268415.210575.5
Michael Irvin1597501190415.96574.9
Cooper Kupp104634777612.35774.8
Andre Johnson19310621418513.47073.5
Keenan Allen1549741127411.66673.2
Stefon Diggs1448571049112.27072.9
Terrell Owens21910781593414.815372.8
DeAndre Hopkins1789841296513.28372.8
Sterling Sharpe112595813413.76572.6
Davante Adams1649571184412.410372.2
Randy Moss2189821529215.615670.1
Jimmy Smith1788621228714.36769.0
Brandon Marshall1799701235112.78369.0
Demaryius Thomas143724976313.56368.3
Isaac Bruce22310241520814.99168.2
Anquan Boldin20210761377912.88268.2
Reggie Wayne21110701434513.48268.0
Steve Smith Sr.21910311473114.38167.3
T.Y. Hilton146638981215.45367.2
Odell Beckham Jr.119575798713.95967.1
Marques Colston146711975913.77266.8
Chad Johnson1667661105914.46766.6
A.J. Green1587271051414.57066.5
Larry Fitzgerald26314321749212.212166.5
D.J. Moore114558753113.53566.1
Chris Godwin111579726612.53965.5
Steve Largent2008191308916.010065.4
Amari Cooper1547111003314.16465.1
Gary Clark1676991085615.56565.0
Terry Glenn137593882314.94464.4
Roddy White1718081086313.46363.5
Keyshawn Johnson1678141057113.06463.3
Dez Bryant119537750614.07563.1
Herman Moore146670917413.76262.8
Rod Smith1838491138913.46862.2
Al Toon107517660512.83161.7
DeSean Jackson1836411126317.65861.5
Rob Moore153628936814.94961.2
Mark Duper146511886917.45960.7
Henry Ellard2288141377716.96560.4
Brandin Cooks158710953213.46060.3
James Lofton2337641400418.37560.1

In the table, assembled using the search tools at pro-football-reference.com, active players are in italics. There are quite a few of them, with it being a more pass-friendly and pass-happy league than ever before. But none of those guys is likely to be moving past Julio. Maybe Tyreek if he's got another 1,500 yard season or two in him.

--Andy Richardson

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