Never trust an athlete who says this will be his last year, just look at Brett Farve. It appears some other notable players are being persuaded to suit up one more time and try to win it all. First up: Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez
The athletic tight end proclaimed that the 2012-2013 season would be his last. He won his first playoff game, but failed to ride that momentum all the way into the Super Bowl. While Gonzalez has not publicly expressed his interest in returning, sources close to him have said that he would rejoin the Falcons for the right price. That right price is rumored to be around $7 million, not exactly a bargain for a team who just cut three players in an effort to make cap space. Gonzalez is a rare talent that would be extremely difficult to replace. His ability to jump and catch almost any pass thrown in his vicinity has helped make the Falcons such a lethal offense. I can see Tony coming back for one more year, but I don’t think he will get the $7 million asking price.
Second: Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones
Last year, Chipper Jones went on a retirement tour and every team expressed their gratitude for a guy who played the game the right way. It is not Jones thinking about coming back into the league, but instead Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. The Yankees are depleted of players and this shows just how desperate they have become. I don’t expect this to happen at all, but I can’t imagine Braves fans handling Chipper’s possible comeback in New York too well.
Third: Free Agent first baseman Derek Lee
He has not played since 2011, but again Brian Cashman has thought about asking him to come back and play in the Bronx. The Yankees are without a true first baseman with the injury to Mark Teixeira. Lee could be a good fit for New York because of the lack of power currently in their lineup. Once Tex comes back, Lee could be the perfect DH for them. I think that this could possibly happen and I expect some more buzz about this rumor.
No reports on Ray Lewis coming out of retirement yet.
