Yes, Falcons receiver Julio Jones will play on Thursday night against the Saints. But he may not be playing much.
Tiffany Blackmon of NFL Media reports that the Falcons will monitor the receiver’s “pitch count” in the Saints game, which means he may not play the full game.
There’s also a chance Jones will simply be a decoy. Look at the impact Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had on Sunday night, when he returned in the final drive of the game. Even with a bad hamstring, he was a factor -- drawing an interference penalty and commanding extra attention.
Jones can do the same thing, even if he can’t run at full speed all the time.
And if the Falcons can get out to a big lead against the Saints, the Falcons can shut Jones down and rest him up for the next game, a short trip to Nashville 10 days after the next game.