Titans reportedly releasing former Falcons star Julio Jones

Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) runs toward the end zone for a touchdown against Philadelphia Eagles free safety Rodney McLeod (23) during the second half of an NFL football game in Atlanta, in this Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, file photo.  (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) runs toward the end zone for a touchdown against Philadelphia Eagles free safety Rodney McLeod (23) during the second half of an NFL football game in Atlanta, in this Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, file photo. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

The Tennessee Titans will be releasing former Falcons star Julio Jones in a move to clear salary-cap space, ESPN and the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, will be designated as a post-June 1 release, with the Titans carrying the cap hit until June 1. That’s according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced. ESPN first reported the move.

The Falcons traded Jones to the Titans in June in a move that gave the Falcons salary-cap space. The Falcons also acquired a second-round draft pick this year and a fourth-round pick next year.

Tennessee needed another top wide receiver to pair with A.J. Brown, but Jones started only 11 games, counting the postseason. He finished with a career-low 31 catches for 434 yards and one touchdown.

That ranked Jones fourth in catches on the Titans and third in yards. The lone touchdown came in the regular-season finale.

Jones, who turned 33 in February, arrived in Tennessee having averaged 95.5 yards receiving per game through 135 games, tops in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss (15.6) averaged more yards per catch than Jones (15.2) among NFL players with at least 848 receptions.

Jones set Falcons records with 848 catches for 12,896 yards, and his 60 touchdowns ranked second. He had a career-best 136 catches for 1,871 yards in 2015. That hamstring injury snapped a streak of six consecutive seasons with more than 1,300 yards receiving.