It did not go the way he expected, but Tony Gonzalez has played his last game in an NFL uniform. Maybe. Recently, the future Hall of Fame tight end opened up to ESPN the Magazine’s senior writer Seth Wickersham about what it was like to play his final season and some of his quotes may surprise you.
When asked about his team’s struggles this year, he admitted that he asked for a trade at the deadline so his team could get something in return for the future. “You trade me to a team that needs me, that wants to make a serious run in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. You get something in return for a guy who you know won’t be here next year. And the season isn’t going anywhere anyway. That’s rational,” he confessed. If this is true, then the Falcons made a huge mistake by not pulling the trigger. Getting draft picks for a player that they knew would be done at the end of the year would have been a brilliant move. The team was 2-5 at the trade deadline and knew they were going nowhere this season especially with the numerous injuries on their roster. Gonzalez admits he was upset that his team did not trade him.
He was asked about his quarterback Matt Ryan and his one playoff victory in his career. Gonzalez said, Matt’s an excellent quarterback. But he’s not elite. He’s this close.” Yes, the elite word is being attached to another quarterback. However, what he is saying makes sense. Unfortunately, to be one of the best in the NFL, there needs to be success in the postseason, something that has always puzzled Ryan and the Falcons. He continued by saying, “He’ll get there, but he has some learning to do.” Atlanta can get there, but they will definitely need to address protecting their franchise quarterback this offseason.
When asked if he was really ready to walk away from it all, Gonzalez admitted that maybe he was not quite ready to end it. He admitted, “Maybe, if the team is hot in November, 9-2 or something, I could come back for the last two months.” If any player deserves a shot at a ring it is him. He has been a stud in the NFL and is one of the best tight ends of all time, but never got to the big game. The Falcons did him a disservice by holding onto him during a lost season.
