The Atlanta Falcons are currently knocking on the door of having a few iconic names reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Matt Ryan was believed to be the franchise legend next in line for his gold jacket, but the Falcons have another player who will soon have Hall of Fame eligibility in Julio Jones.
Even though he hasn't played since 2022 and his waiting period should officially be over, Matty Ice won't be eligible for his spot in Canton for the first time during the 2028 class since he didn't officially retire until 2024. Meanwhile Jones will be eligible a year later in 2029 since he didn't retire until 2023.
However, there are some who still thinks Julio makes the Hall before Matt Ryan ever does. While naming every team's best Hall of Fame candidate, NFL.com's Eric Edholm labeled Julio as the next best Hall of Fame candidate for the Falcons, which will to ruffle some serious feathers in Atlanta.
"Matt Ryan, who’s now a member of the franchise’s front office, will be eligible first and will have a chance to get in one day," Edholm wrote. "But if Eli Manning -- who has comparable numbers, plus two Super Bowl victories Ryan doesn’t have -- is having trouble getting into the Hall early in his window, then Ryan could as well."
Could Julio Jones make the Pro Football Hall of Fame before Matt Ryan?
Edholm pointed to Eli Manning not making it to Canton in his first two years on the ballot as something that may haunt Ryan the same way it did Eli. And despite what a recent social media debate ignited, No. 2 is clearly the better all-time player with the better Hall of Fame résumé.
While Manning has those two Super Bowl rings: Ryan has something he doesn't: an MVP trophy. And as we all know, he came one fourth-quarter collapse from Kyle Shanahan away from having a ring, so while precedent would suggest he isn't a first-ballot guy, his talent and track record say otherwise.
Meanwhile, Julio's case is just as strong. He often flies under the radar because he played during an era defined by elite receiver play, but he was one of the most accomplished members of that group. Other than Calvin Johnson, you can argue he was the best wideout of his generation, and Edholm credited him as such despite his mediocre touchdown numbers.
"Jones, however, has a stronger case, even with a similar backlog of receivers. He might not get in during his first year of eligibility (2029) but might not have to wait too long. Jones is an all-decade player for the 2010s and boasts elite-level production (even with modest TD totals), and for whatever reason, receivers don’t seem to be hurt as much by the no-rings stigma as much as quarterbacks do."
Father time (and the injury bug) really caught up with Julio post-COVID, but he was still plenty productive before Terry Fontenot moved on from both him and Atlanta's new president of football. In his prime, he and Ryan were one of the most dangerous QB-WR duos in the NFL, and one doesn't deserve more credit than the other.
They're both going to get in eventually, it's just a matter of when. I wouldn't be all that surprised if Ryan and Jones made it to the Hall in the same offseason, but with the extra year on the ballot, I'll respectfully disagree with Edholm and point this debate in favor the man we call Matty Ice.
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