Eagles reporter gives Julio Jones all the motivation he needs
By Kristen Wong
The Philadelphia Eagles took Julio Jones off the market earlier this week, and the veteran wideout is ready to repay the team this season.
Jones signed a one-year deal with Philly and will be reunited with former Titans teammate A.J. Brown and former Falcons teammate Olamide Zaccheaus. The 34-year-old last played for the Bucs in 2022 and is admittedly in the twilight years of his career, with injuries taking their toll in his recent history.
In a Wednesday press conference, one reporter innocuously asked Jones how much he had left in the tank, which Jones took as a slight insult.
Jones said, "Have left? Just keep watching. Keep watching, and I'll show you. We'll revisit this question."
Eagles fans have to admire his passion and enthusiasm.
Eagles WR Julio Jones is in his ring-chasing era
After over a decade in the league playing for the Falcons, Titans, and Bucs, the seven-time Pro Bowler has yet to win a ring. The closest he came was in 2017 when the Falcons played the Patriots in the infamous 28-3 comeback game -- one has to imagine Jones is pretty traumatized from that Super Bowl loss, too.
Six years later, he's set himself up for another shot at a championship by joining the 5-1 Eagles, who are stacked with talent from top to bottom. Given the team's dynamic offensive playmakers in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and D'Andre Swift, Jones isn't going to see the field all that much.
Still, he serves as a depth chart upgrade from Olamide Zaccheaus and Quez Watkins and has experience playing in big games; he recorded 334 yards and three touchdowns en route to the Falcons' Super Bowl appearance.
Granted, that was many years ago, and Jones' grizzled leadership may end up proving more valuable than his on-field skillset. Based on his combative answers in the Eagles' recent press conference, he appears to have a chip on his shoulder and a rookie "gotta-prove-it" mentality that could be beneficial to the Eagles down the stretch.