With Falcons G.M. Thomas Dimitroff believing there’s a 50-50 chance tight end Tony Gonzalez will play notwithstanding his 95-percent certainty of retirement, there’s another angle that needs to be considered.
Gonzalez will be a free agent on March 12. He could, if he wants, continue his career with any team.
That’s never happened for Gonzalez during his 16-year NFL career. He was traded to the Falcons at his request in 2009, but he’s never had the chance to go wherever he wants to go.
And he had 93 catches in 2012, ninth most in the entire league.
Don’t be shocked, then, if other teams opt to try to entice Gonzalez to continue his Hall of Fame career as a member of their teams.
Gonzalez has said or done nothing to indicate he’d play elsewhere, but if he’s going to play for the Falcons in 2013, he’ll need a contract. And if other teams are interested, the Falcons could become willing to pay more to get Gonzalez back.