Matt Ryan makes feelings known on Julio Jones' retirement after 13 years in NFL

Matt Ryan reacted to Julio Jones announcing his retirement from the NFL after a 13-year career. The duo played together for the Atlanta Falcons for around nine years and as now Jones is retired from the game, Ryan posted an emotional message on his social media handle.

On Saturday, Matt Ryan posted a few snaps of Julio Jones, including one of them playing for the Falcons together with a heartfelt caption. He reflected on Jones' NFL journey while praising him for his impressive career. Ryan wrote:

"Still to this day the best catch I’ve ever seen was right after we drafted julio, we were at Buford high school working out. Back of the endzone one-handed catch. I’ve never seen anyone elevate like that. I knew immediately he was different.

"His impact on the city of ATL, the Falcons organization, the fans, and his teammates is immeasurable. His impact on me was more significant than any other person I played with or for. One of the best to ever do it. Congrats on an amazing career. Enjoy retirement jet!"

Matt Ryan played for the Falcons from 2008 to 2021 while Julio Jones was drafted by the team in 2011. Jones spent around nine years with the Falcons before moving to play for the Titans in 2021.

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Julio Jones honors Matt Ryan in heartfelt NFL retirement announcement

Jones announced his retirement by sharing a video on a social media platform called Squad. He initially teased his retirement by posting a video on his Instagram handle but he only said, "Today is the day" in the video.

However, he provided the link to the full retirement video in the caption of his Instagram post. Julio Jones was thankful for his time with the team and also mentioned Matt Ryan. He expressed gratitude to the people he worked with over time.

"I want to thank my teammates in the league as well," Jones said (via Atlanta Falcons). "Matt Ryan, thank you. It was a lockout in 2011. You went as far as taking me to your home, showing me the playbook, going to fields, going over plays. Thank you."

In his nine years with the Atlanta Falcons, Julio Jones had his best year in 2015, when he recorded 1,871 yards in receiving, his career best. In his NFL career, Jones has played with four different teams, the last being the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and, before that, for the Buccaneers in 2022.