JULIO JONES NEWS

Tom Brady won't rush decision on future, but changes loom for Buccaneers

While the GOAT makes up his mind on his playing future, the Bucs have big decisions to make on the coaching staff and the roster.

JANUARY 17, 2023

Productive in wild-card loss Jones secured seven of 11 targets for 74 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 31-14 wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night.

Impact Jones finished second in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the night for the Buccaneers, with the highlight of his performance being a 30-yard touchdown grab on the final play of the third quarter. The solid season-ending effort capped a mostly quiet 2022 campaign for Jones, one in which he struggled with nagging knee issues and totaled 24 receptions for 299 yards and two touchdowns on 42 targets across 10 games. The veteran wideout will presumably head back onto the open market as a 34-year-old with three consecutive injury-shortened seasons on his resume, giving him a very modest outlook in terms of his next contract.

JANUARY 17, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tom Brady Throws TD Pass to Julio Jones | Cowboys vs. Bucs Highlights WR Julio Jones scores on a touchdown pass from QB Tom Brady against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round.

JANUARY 17, 2023 • BUCCANEERS.COM

Tom Brady uncorks 30-yard deep ball TD to Julio Jones Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady uncorks 30-yard deep ball TD to wide receiver Julio Jones to put Bucs' first points on the board...

JANUARY 17, 2023 • NFL.COM

Logs full practice Thursday Jones (knee) practiced fully Thursday.

Impact Jones has dealt with knee issues for most the campaign and was inactive Week 18, marking his seventh absence overall. However, now that he's managed to log every practice rep Thursday, he's seemingly in the clear for Monday's matchup with the Cowboys. Mike Evans (illness) also was a full participant to begin prep for the wild-card round, so Jones will be the Buccaneers' third wide receiver, at best, behind Evans and Chris Godwin.

JANUARY 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Cowboys scuffling ahead of wild-card matchup vs. Bucs team that's getting healthy

The NFL is saving the best for last in Super Wild Card Weekend, with a tough-to-predict matchup between the Cowboys and Buccaneers.

JANUARY 12, 2023

Not playing Week 18 Jones (knee/illness) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Falcons.

Impact Regardless of what happens Week 18, the Buccaneers are locked in as the NFC's No. 4 seed in the playoffs, so it's not especially surprising that Tampa Bay won't take any chances with Jones in what amounts to a mostly meaningless regular-season finale. Jones, who managed just one limited practice this week due to the knee injury and illness, should be ready to go for the wild-card round of the postseason, though he may find himself fourth in the pecking order at receiver behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage.

JANUARY 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Questionable for Week 18 Jones returned to a limited practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Atlanta with a knee injury and an illness, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Impact Jones played less than 30 percent of offensive snaps both of the past two weeks as the Buccaneers' No. 4 receiver, but a larger role isn't entirely out of the question if he's able to play Sunday. The Bucs are locked into the NFC's fourth seed for the postseason and may rest starters such as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, potentially opening up more playing time for Jones. Of course, Jones may be one of the players held out ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, especially now that he's dealing with an illness in addition to the lingering PCL injury in his knee. He seems likely to be ready for the wild-card round, if nothing else.

JANUARY 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Missing from another practice Jones (knee/illness) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Jones has thus opened Week 18 prep with two straight absences from practice, so he'll likely need to get back on the field in some capacity Friday to put himself in position to play Sunday against the Falcons. With the Buccaneers having already secured the NFC's No. 4 seed with no possibility of moving up or down in the standings regardless of how the Week 18 games transpires, veterans like Jones may hold only limited roles if active Sunday with the likelihood that head coach Todd Bowles prioritizes the health of key players heading into the playoffs above all else.

JANUARY 5, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Not at practice Jones didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury and an illness.

Impact Jones was merely Tampa Bay's No. 4 receiver the past two weeks, falling behind Russell Gage on the depth chart. As such, the 33-year-old is unlikely to play many snaps (if any) in a Week 18 game in Atlanta that has no playoff implications. It's possible Jones returns to the No. 3 receiver role for the playoffs if his balky knee improves, though Gage may have locked down the job by producing 16 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns over the past three games, including a contest Jones missed Week 15.

JANUARY 4, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Catches one pass in win Jones caught one of two targets for 10 yards and carried the ball once for 13 yards in Sunday's 30-24 win over the Panthers.

Impact In his second game back from a knee injury that sidelined him in Week 15, Jones had another quiet day with just two total touches in the contest. The veteran wideout played just 22 of the Buccaneers' 78 offensive snaps Sunday, operating as the No. 4 receiver behind Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Russell Gage. It's clear Tampa Bay has been committed to limiting Jones' snaps in order to manage his lingering knee issues as the regular season comes to a close. If the 33-year-old can manage to see more playing time going forward, he'll look to bounce back in a Week 18 matchup against the Falcons.

JANUARY 4, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Active in Week 17 Jones (knee) is active for Sunday's Week 17 divisional clash against the Panthers, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Impact Jones will play through his lingering knee issues for the second straight game after putting in limited practices throughout Week 17 prep. The veteran's presence won't necessarily equate to a significant downgrade to the prospects of No. 4 wideout Russell Gage, however -- in last Sunday night's overtime win against the Cardinals, Jones logged just 19 snaps to Gage's 43.

JANUARY 1, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Questionable for Week 17 Jones (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers.

Impact He played through the injury last week but took only 24 percent of snaps as the No. 4 receiver in an overtime win over Arizona. It's possible Jones is stuck behind Russell Gage again even if he's active ahead of the Buccaneers' 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.

DECEMBER 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Another limited showing Jones (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Impact For a second week in a row, Jones is operating with a cap on his practice reps as he tends to a knee issue. He was able to return from a one-game absence this past Sunday at Arizona, turning a 24 percent snap share into one catch (on one target) for five yards. With fellow Bucs receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage all healthy at the moment, Jones doesn't hold much upside if he does end up active Sunday against the Panthers.

DECEMBER 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Stays limited at practice Jones (knee) was limited in practice Wednesday.

Impact Jones now has been dealing with a knee issue for three weeks running, but after sitting out Week 15 against the Bengals, he was able to play Sunday in Arizona after managing three straight capped sessions ahead of the contest. While he recorded one official target en route to a five-yard catch Week 16, he also had a touchdown called back due to penalty. Assuming he goes through a similar practice regimen this week, Jones will have a good chance to suit up Sunday versus the Panthers.

DECEMBER 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

One catch in return Jones (knee) brought in one of two targets for five yards in the Buccaneers' 19-16 overtime win over the Cardinals on Sunday night.

Impact Jones overcame the questionable designation he headed into the weekend with to suit up and log 19 snaps from scrimmage overall. Russell Gage continued to run well ahead of Jones with 43 snaps overall, but the latter did have a 10-yard touchdown grab nullified by an illegal shift penalty early in the second quarter. Given Gage's recent success, Jones is likely to slot into more of a de facto No. 4 receiver role in Sunday's critical Week 17 divisional home clash against the Panthers.

DECEMBER 27, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Back in action Sunday Jones (knee) is active for Sunday's contest at Arizona, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Impact Jones logged more on-field work Week 16 (three LPs) versus Week 15 (one LP), the latter of which resulted in an absence for last Sunday's loss to the Bengals. With his availability confirmed for this Sunday, he'll rejoin Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage as the top wide receivers for quarterback Tom Brady. Jones has compiled a 22-284-2 line on 39 targets in eight appearances for the Bucs this season, so his potential to produce is near its lowest point in his 12 years as a pro.

DECEMBER 25, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Uncertain to play Christmas Day The Buccaneers list Jones (knee) as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Impact After sitting out last week's loss to the Bengals, Jones was listed as a limited participant in practices Wednesday through Friday. Because he was unable to advance to full activity, Jones will carry a designation into the weekend, and it's unclear if the Buccaneers expect him to gain clearance ahead of Sunday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If Jones is sidelined for a second straight game, Russell Gage -- who cashed in on 12 targets with eight receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns in Week 15 -- would likely start at receiver alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

DECEMBER 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Another limited showing Jones (knee) was limited at practice Thursday.

Impact With back-to-back capped sessions under his belt this week, Jones may be building momentum for a return to action Sunday at Arizona. He missed this past Sunday's loss to the Bengals due to a knee injury, which contained him to one limited practice last week. Ultimately, Friday's injury report may paint a clearer picture of Jones' potential to play this weekend.

DECEMBER 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Begins week as limited Jones (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.

Impact Jones opened last week with back-to-back absences from practice before returning in a limited capacity Friday and getting a questionable designation ahead of Sunday's contest against the Bengals. The Buccaneers eventually made him inactive, which marked his sixth game missed of the season, but he appears to be in a better spot as the team kicks off Week 16 prep. Jones' status thus bears watching as the week continues to get a sense of his potential to suit up Sunday at Arizona.

DECEMBER 21, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Inactive as expected Sunday Jones (knee) is inactive for Sunday's Week 15 game against the Bengals, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Impact Jones was trending downward heading into the weekend after only getting a limited Friday practice in during the past week. With the veteran wideout sitting out, Russell Gage will be in line to bump up to the No. 3 receiver role behind the starting duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in another must-win game for the Buccaneers.

DECEMBER 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Not expected to play Sunday While Jones (knee) may work out before Sunday's game against the Bengals, the wideout isn't expected to be available for the contest, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Impact Official confirmation of Jones' Week 15 status will arrive once Tampa Bay's inactives are posted ahead of Sunday's 4:25 ET kickoff, but if Jones is indeed unavailable, Russell Gage would be the top candidate to log added WR opportunities versus Cincinnati alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

DECEMBER 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Questionable after practicing Jones (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact His return to practice Friday, albeit as a limited participant, seemingly gives Jones a real shot to play. He had season highs for snap share (72 percent) and targets (eight) in last week's 35-7 loss to the Bengals, and he likely aggravated the PCL injury that bothered him earlier this season. Russell Gage should pick up more snaps and targets if Jones ends up inactive ahead of the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.

DECEMBER 16, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Another DNP on Thursday Jones (knee) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.

Impact Previously, Jones sat out five times in a six-game span back in September and October with what was termed a PCL injury. It's unclear if his current concern is related to that issue, but he now has missed back-to-back sessions to kick off Week 15 prep. Friday's practice report may decide his fate for Sunday's contest against the Bengals, and if he's out or even limited this weekend, Russell Gage would be the top candidate to join Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in three-wide sets.

DECEMBER 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Not spotted at practice Thursday Jones (knee) wasn't present for the open portion of Thursday's practice and is expected to be listed as a non-participant, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Coming out of Sunday's blowout loss to the 49ers, the Buccaneers didn't indicate that Jones suffered any sort of setback with the knee issue that has previously cost him five games this season. However, Jones' absence from the first two practices of Week 15 suggests that he may be sitting out for more than maintenance-related reasons. If Jones ends up being ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals following Friday's practice or is otherwise deemed unlikely to play, Russell Gage would be the top candidate to join Chris Godwin and Mike Evans in three-receiver sets.

DECEMBER 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE