Milestone day: Julio Jones makes NFL history, extends impressive streak
By Jake Rill
Published:
Over the past decade, Julio Jones has developed into one of the most reliable wide receivers in the NFL.
The Atlanta Falcons typically know what they’re going to get from their star receiver each season. And on Sunday vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones, a former Alabama standout, became the fastest receiver to reach 12,000 career receiving yards in NFL history in terms of number of games played.
Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who previously held the record, reached the total in 142 career games, while it only took Jones 125.
Jones also reached 1,200 receiving yards for the sixth straight year. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that streak of consecutive seasons with at least 1,200 receiving yards is tied for the second longest in NFL history with Antonio Brown, Torry Holt and Randy Moss. The only receiver with a longer such streak is Rice, who reached the mark in nine straight seasons.
After playing at Alabama from 2008-10, Jones was selected by the Falcons in the first round of the 2011 draft. He quickly became a contributor for Atlanta, and he’s had at least 959 receiving yards in eight of his nine pro seasons.
During Jones’ streak, his highest receiving total came in 2015, when he had 1,871 yards. It’s unlikely he’ll reach that total this season with only one game remaining after Sunday, but it’s still been another strong year for him nonetheless.
Jones and the Falcons conclude the 2019 season with a road matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
