New Orleans Saints: Julio Jones is finally out of the NFC South

The New Orleans Saints will no longer have to deal with Julio Jones twice a year, as the Falcons wide receiver has been traded to the Tennessee Titans. It is worth noting that, due to the 17th game, the Saints will still be tasked with facing Jones this year, but it’s better than having to game plan for him twice a year every year.

The Jones rumors have been going on for quite some time and the Saints were even in the mix to be a landing spot for him. That seemed unlikely though due to the Saints and Falcons being in the same division, but it certainly wasn’t an impossible scenario.

Now, however, the Saints won’t have to worry about Jones going off on them twice a year and when they do face him in Tennessee in Week 10, they’ll have an idea of how to slow him down.

The New Orleans Saints no longer have to face Julio Jones twice a year.

From an outside team’s perspective, this appears to be a good deal for both sides. As Ian Rapoport noted above, the Falcons are potentially getting a second-round pick while the Titans are adding an All-Pro wide receiver to their offense. The Titans needed a big playmaker after losing three of their best weapons this offseason and Jones gives them that. He and A.J. Brown are going to do big things in Nashville.

While it’d have been fun to see Jones wreak havoc in this offense, Saints fans never truly bought into the narrative that the Falcons would trade him to New Orleans. They know how good he is and wouldn’t want to face him twice a year and by trading him to the AFC, they won’t have to see him for a few years, if at all, considering his age.

Even though Jones is still on the 2021 schedule, he’s no longer a member of the NFC South and this is a big win for the New Orleans Saints.