Back in 2021, live television witnessed one of its most shocking and iconic sports moments. Shannon Sharpe, then co-host of Undisputed, cold-called Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones during a live broadcast to ask whether he wanted to stay in Atlanta or move on.
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It all began as a heated on-air debate between Sharpe and Skip Bayless about Jones’ future. What followed was a moment that sent shockwaves through the NFL. Bayless had argued that Jones wanted to join the Dallas Cowboys, citing a viral photo of the All-Pro receiver wearing a Cowboys hoodie.
Sharpe, confident in his personal connection to Jones, decided to prove his co-host wrong by calling the then-Falcons WR on the spot. “Do you want to go to the Cowboys? Or do you want to stay in Atlanta?” Sharpe asked on-air. To which Julio Jones replied, “Nah, I’m outta there, man,” and doubled down: “I ain’t going to Dallas, man.”
The exchange instantly blew up, confirming Jones’ desire to leave Atlanta. But it also raised serious questions about whether Jones knew he was live on-air — something which the Falcons legend shed light on recently by admitting he had no clue about the context of the call.
Now, former NFL MVP Cam Newton has made it clear that he believes Sharpe crossed the line. “That was a sucker move,” Newton said bluntly, speaking on the latest episode of his 4th & 1 podcast.
“If somebody does that to him, he ain’t having it… That was a total breach of access right there,” he added.
Newton didn’t hold back on his stance that Unc should’ve given Jones a heads-up before putting him on speakerphone during a nationally televised segment.
“Send a text, send a disclaimer like, ‘Hey bro, I’m on live right now… Don’t do that to me because I’m liable to say anything… From my girl to baby what’s up, from my partners — anything,” the former NFL MVP emphasized.
That said, the podcast host clarified that his frustration with Sharpe had nothing to do with his credibility or their shared history. In fact, Newton admitted immense respect for the Broncos legend. “I got so much respect for Julio and Shannon for that particular matter, but that should not have been done.”
Coming back to Jones, what transpired after the cold-call controversy was the WR getting traded to the Tennessee Titans that offseason. His year-long stint in Nashville was marred by injuries and a scuffle with Byron Murphy.
Unsurprisingly, Jones was let go by the Titans, eventually suiting up for the Buccaneers and Eagles, where he tallied more injuries than touchdowns. Simply put, the WR’s post-Falcons career never reached the heights of his Atlanta days, arguably tarnished by how abruptly and publicly the divorce from the club played out.
For the ex-Panthers star, the lesson from this Julio Jones debacle is bigger than just that one moment. “Every legend is owed an appreciation,” he said. “But every legend must understand this — including myself — it’s all business… Either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.”
And honestly, that’s hard to deny!
