Report: Bucs' Julio Jones Has Partially Torn PCL in Knee Injury, Won't Need Surgery
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Julio Jones' knee injury is a partially torn PCL.
Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (h/t Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus), Jones' injury doesn't require surgery, and he's considered a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.
After missing the first two days of practice, Jones was a limited participant Friday and is officially listed as questionable. He sat out the team's Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints with a knee injury.
The first game Jones played for the Buccaneers was a success. He looked spry with 86 total yards, including a 48-yard jet sweep in the team's 19-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Jones, 33, saw a significant chunk of his 2021 season with the Tennessee Titans sidelined by injuries and a stint on the NFL's reserve/COVID-19 list.
When he was healthy, the production on the field was disappointing, as he posted just 31 receptions for 434 yards and a touchdowns in 10 games.
And after registering at least 1,100 receiving yards in seven of his first nine seasons in the NFL—including six straight seasons eclipsing that mark and three seasons with 1,500 or more receiving yards—Jones has failed to reach 800 receiving yards in each of his past two seasons.
Injuries also limited him in 2020 to just nine appearances.
It's possible that Jones is nearing the end of what has been an incredible career. Certainly, his one season in Tennessee didn't go as planned. Nonetheless, the Bucs brought him aboard this offseason to serve as depth behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage.
Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich will have to navigate a depleted receiver room in Week 3. In addition to Jones being a game-time decision, Godwin has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury, and Evans is serving a one-game suspension for his role in a fight with Marshon Lattimore in Week 2.
Cole Beasley, who was signed to the practice squad Tuesday, was elevated to the active roster and will likely play against the Packers.
