Falcons WR Julio Jones Officially Ruled Out for 2013 Season

Oct 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) is stopped short of the goal line by New York Jets safety Josh Bush (32) during the first half at the Georgia Dome. The Jets defeated the Falcons 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

It isn’t exactly a surprise, but it appears that every worst nightmare for the Atlanta Falcons is coming to fruition.

Earlier in the week, we reported that Falcons leading receiver Julio Jones could be out for the 2013 season, and after he traveled to Charlotte for a second opinion on Wednesday, that fear became a reality. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen was first to report that Jones suffered a broken foot, and with that, he will undergo surgery that will cause him to miss the remainder of the year.

Obviously, this is a crushing blow for the Falcons as they attempt to resurrect their season after a dismal 1-4 start. Jones is, by far, the most explosive player on either side of the ball (whether he’s the “best” player is a different argument as long as Matt Ryan is upright), and his absence leaves a gaping hole on the outside for Atlanta. Throw in the news that Roddy White could need an additional week (or more) to recover from his new hamstring issue, and it’s becoming a comedy of errors for the Falcons roster.

As we discussed earlier with regard to Tony Gonzalez, it is too early to finish filling the Falcons’ grave with dirt (they have 3 winnable games in a row after the bye week), but this news could end up being the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Stay tuned.