NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have traded with the Atlanta Falcons for seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
NFL.com and ESPN.com first reported the trade.
The Falcons will receive the Titans’ second-round pick in 2022 and their fourth in 2023 with Atlanta sending Jones and a sixth-round pick in 2023 to Tennessee, according to the person familiar with the discussions who spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been announced.
The deal adds the seven-time Pro Bowl receiver to Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown to the defending AFC South champs and an offense that ranked fourth in scoring in 2020. The Titans shore up a big hole in their offense after losing wide receiver Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith in free agency in March.
Brown has been lobbying for Jones to join the Titans on social media, and Brown shared a photo on Twitter on Sunday of himself, Jones and AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry all in Tennessee jerseys celebrating.
Jones’ $15.3 million base salary is guaranteed, and he was set to cost the Falcons slightly more than $23 million against the salary cap next season. By trading him after June 1, they can split the dead money over two seasons, which would greatly ease their tough financial situation.
Jones holds Atlanta records with 848 catches for 12,896 yards, and his 60 touchdowns are second. He had a career-best 136 catches for 1,871 yards in 2015. He had six straight seasons with more than 1,300 yards receiving until being limited to nine games in 2020 by a nagging hamstring injury.
The Titans won the AFC South in 2020 and lost to Kansas City in the AFC championship game in the previous season. Tennessee tied for second in total yards per game and fourth in points scored in 2020 with Ryan Tannehill throwing for a career-best 33 touchdowns.
AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.
Follow Teresa M. Walker at https://twitter.com/TeresaMWalker
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
