A.J. Brown Calls Julio Jones 'Best WR to Play the Game' After Legend's NFL Retirement

A.J. Brown said the NFL is saying goodbye to "the best WR to play the game" after the Friday retirement announcement of Julio Jones.

"The best WR to play the game in my book," Brown wrote in a Friday social media post honoring Jones. "Taught me how to play the position before we even met.

"Not every day you get to play with the person that inspired you to play the game. Grateful! You deserve it family. THE HOF AWAITS!"

This isn't the first time Brown has described Jones as an inspiration. He previously said he watched Jones' highlights as part of his pregame ritual.

Jones and Brown overlapped for one season in Philadelphia, when the seven-time Pro Bowler spent the 2023 season with the Eagles.

After playing 11 games for the Eagles that season, Jones spent the 2024 campaign away from the league. He officially announced his retirement in a Friday video posted to social media.

Selected with the No. 6 pick of the 2011 draft, Jones spent 10 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and helped the team appear in Super Bowl LI. He was later named to the Falcons' 2010s All-Decades Team.

He played one season with the Tennessee Titans and another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before closing out his playing career with the Eagles.

Jones will retire from the league having caught 914 career passes for 13,702 yards and 66 touchdowns.