According to reports from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have acquired seven-time Pro-Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones ahead of the 2022 season.
The Bucs weren’t the only team interested in Jones, though.
The Green Bay Packers also reportedly made a run at the 33-year-old pass catcher.
“Julio Jones drew interest from, amongst others, the Green Bay Packers and Buccaneers. But Tampa was the most aggressive in giving its QB a new offensive weapon,” Schefter reports.
With these two options, Jones had the opportunity to pick between two of the best veteran quarterbacks in the game. Ultimately, he elected to pen a one-year deal with Tampa Bay and reel in catches from all-time great QB Tom Brady.
The Buccaneers tried a similar experiment this past season, bringing in veteran wide receiver Antonio Brown well beyond his prime. With AB now out, the team will now welcome another former All-Pro wideout.
Jones notched one of the worst years of his NFL career this past season. In his first and only year with the Tennessee Titans, he logged career lows in receptions (33), receiving yards (434) and touchdowns (1) through 10 games.
Alongside star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the once-great superstar will look to enjoy a career resurgence this coming season.