A calf injury is the latest injury to knock Julio Jones out of a game but Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he’s not worried about the his All-Pro wide receiver’s health.
Quinn on Monday didn’t offer details of the MRI results on the strained right calf that forced Jones to sit out the end of the victory at Oakland on Sunday. But Quinn said he expects Jones to practice this week in preparation for next Monday’s game at the Saints.
“I would say he will be limited as we are going through the week, and increasing to full as we get there,” Quinn said.
Jones was slowed by nagging injuries during training camp. A sore left ankle limited him during practice in the days before the regular-season opener and he left that game against the Buccaneers after aggravating the injury. He appeared to injure his right calf Sunday when two Raiders defenders fell on his leg as he completed a catch in the fourth quarter.
Jones played 49 snaps (77 percent) against the Raiders, tops among offensive players other than quarterback Matt Ryan and the linemen. Jones played 55 snaps (85 percent) against the Bucs, second to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu among players other than Ryan and the linemen.
Jones has said that he’s always nicked up in some way because he’s such an explosive athlete but that he plays through such injuries. Likewise, Quinn said he’s not uneasy about Jones’ various ailments eventually costing the Falcons the availability of their best player.
“I just think, ‘Man, does he go hard,’” Quinn said. “I know he knows his body really well and knows how to take care of himself, so that part is there. So no I’m not concerned at this point. It was a different injury than he had previously. A guy fell on the back of his calf, not an injury that is recurring.
“The guy is an incredibly fast healer, he’s extremely tough so no I’m not concerned at this point.”
Even with the injuries, Jones has been productive. He had five catches on five targets against the Raiders for 106 yards and a touchdown and four receptions on eight targets against the Buccaneers for 66 yards and a TD.
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