Julio Jones Has Surgery to Remove Bunion from Foot

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones underwent surgery to remove a bunion from his foot Monday, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

McClure cited a medical source who said such a procedure "typically calls for four weeks of recovery." That means Jones could theoretically return to Atlanta's offseason workout program it is allowed to start April 17 if he followed that typical timeline, but McClure noted the receiver actually faces a recovery time closer to four or five months.

The team does expect him to be fine for July's training camp.

Jones took to Instagram after the procedure:

Jones also tweeted a message following surgery, thanking his well-wishers:

According to McClure, Dr. Robert Anderson performed the surgery. There is a familiarity in place considering he previously fixed fractures in Jones' right foot.

Jones missed two games during the 2016 campaign because of the foot problems, and McClure said the team limited him in practice late in the season. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution pointed out the Falcons used him as a decoy at times as he fought through the setback.

Even with the injury, Jones was an integral part of the Falcons' run to the Super Bowl, where they ultimately lost to the New England Patriots. He finished with 83 catches for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns as NFL MVP Matt Ryan's primary target. He has surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau in four of his six career seasons.

Atlanta will need him healthy and tallying massive numbers again in 2017 to defend its NFC crown.