The flailing Atlanta Falcons (1-4) could use some good news, but they only received more bad news following the team's latest loss to the New York Jets (3-2) on Monday Night Football. Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones, the league-leader in receptions, may be out for the season after injuring his foot during the game Monday night, which would be a big blow to an already reeling team.
Falcons head coach Mike Smith said it was "premature" to rule Jones out for the season, according to ESPN, but it still remains a very high possibility as Smith said the first opinion on Jones' foot wasn't encouraging. Jones is slated to get a second opinion on the injury on Wednesday. How he injured the foot has remained unspecified as the team didn't want to go into too much detail.
Jones is first in the NFL with 41 receptions and is second in receiving yards (580), and has two touchdowns through five games thus far this season. He's on pace for a promising campaign, but that all may be cut short.
Jones suffered the injury some time during Monday night's game against the Jets, and X-rays taken after the game came back negative, but ESPN reports that a CT scan taken on Tuesday revealed the injury may be more serious.
"I don't want to get into the specifics about what foot it is," Smith said per ESPN. "He did injure his foot last night and was able to complete the game. He had a test this morning and is going for a second opinion tomorrow. The first diagnosis was not that encouraging."
ESPN reports that Jones has indicated that the pain in his foot is not unbearable which the Falcons hope will be a sign that he won't need to miss significant time. Jones hurt the very same foot in 2011 prior to being drafted and underwent surgery on it, but still managed eight touchdowns and 959 yards on 54 receptions through 13 games that season.
"He's going to be a hard guy to replace, if we have to replace him," Smith said Tuesday, according to ESPN.
The injuries keep piling up for the Falcons as two of their key players, running back Steven Jackson and receiver Roddy White, have been sidelined with hamstring injuries. Jackson has been out since Week 2 while White left the game due to injury Monday.
Quarterback Matt Ryan and Jones have had some great chemistry over the past three years, and Jones had eight catches for 99 yards against the Jets Monday. Jones has 20 touchdowns and 174 receptions for 2,737 yards in his career with Atlanta.
The Falcons have a bye in Week 6 and won't return to action until a game against Tampa Bay on Oct. 20, where the team hopes to have Jones back. The Falcons are looking up at the Carolina Panthers (1-3) and first place New Orleans Saints (5-0) in the NFC South.
A loss of Jones for a significant time will be a lethal prognosis for an already banged up and underachieving Falcons team that has gone from the NFC's No.1 seed in last year's playoffs, to a third place team struggling to stay afloat.
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