In his rookie year with the Chiefs, tight end Tony Gonzalez played on a team that won the top seed in the AFC playoff field.
And they lost their first playoff game.
In his 14th year, now with the Falcons, Gonzalez played on a team that won the top seed in the NFC playoff field.
And they lost in their first playoff game.
After such a deflating 48-21 loss to the Packers, which came on the heels of a 13-3 regular season, it’s no surprise that Gonzalez is considering calling it quits.
“It’s always a possibility,” Gonzalez said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Year 15 is a long time.”
The fact that the Falcons have plenty of promise and potential for 2011 could prompt him to return. “That’s definitely going to weigh into my decision whether or not I come back,” Gonzalez said.
Though things will get no easier in 2011 with the Saints and Bucs in the same division and the Falcons having to start over at 0-0, Gonzalez knows he’s playing for a contender. So, yeah, we think he’ll be back.
Besides, he’s only 34, and he’s in great health, missing only two games over the course of his entire career. Though the football-following world would prefer to see a guy leave one year too early (Tiki Barber) than one year too late (Brett Favre), Gonzalez seems to have three or four good years left in the tank.
