8 years after Falcons' 28-3 nightmare, Julio Jones gets 100% real on Super Bowl 51 loss

Julio Jones was part of the Atlanta Falcons team that lost Super Bowl 51 in stunning fashion against the New England Patriots. The Patriots overcame a 3-28 deficit to win the game 34–28 in overtime at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Now, eight years and three months after the heartbreak of losing Super Bowl 51, Jones reflected on the game, in which he had just four targets, while the Falcons collapsed against Tom Brady's New England.

"Man, I have yet to go back at watch it, the game," Jones said in an episode of the "Legacy Locker Room Podcast" released on Tuesday. "I haven't been back to watch the game. And for me, in that game, it was just like, I had four opportunities in that whole game.

"Like, all this, you know, what I've done, and you know, as a team, we got to the Super Bowl. It's like, I had four opportunities the whole game. That's insane. Four targets in the Super Bowl. But again, I did what was asked of me."

Jones made all four of his catches for 87 yards against the Patriots at the Super Bowl in 2017. However, it wasn't enough for the Falcons to get across the final hurdle since they blew a big lead.

In the 2016 season, in which the Falcons made the Super Bowl, Jones recorded 1,409 yards and six touchdowns on 83 receptions across 14 regular-season games. He also earned one of his seven Pro Bowl honors that season.

Julio Jones announced his retirement from the NFL in April 2025

Former Philadelphia Eagles WR Julio Jones - Source: Getty

Julio Jones announced his retirement from the NFL on April 4. He played 13 seasons in the big league, posting 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns on 914 receptions.

The Falcons drafted Jones with the No. 6 pick in 2011. He spent 10 seasons with them before being traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2021.

After a one-year stint in Tennessee, Jones signed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, where he played alongside Tom Brady for one season.

In 2023, Jones played for the Philadelphia Eagles for one season. The wideout did not play in the 2024 season.