In Tony Gonzalez’s 14 NFL seasons, he has yet to win a playoff game. But the 35-year-old Falcons tight end can’t help thinking about possibly retiring at the end of this season. Especially if his team wins a Super Bowl.
“I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I didn’t think about it,” Gonzalez said of retiring to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’d be a fool if I didn’t think about it; just trying to be prepared a little bit. But you think about it and then you detach from it.”
On NFL Network the other night, Matt Millen quoted a scout that said there are two guys in the NFL that have no speed left, but still get open regularly: Hines Ward and Gonzalez. When Ward heard the comment, he told Millen not to tell anyone his secret.
It’s no secret that Gonzalez has slowed down, but he’s still very productive. Gonzalez has 62 catches, 591 yards, and five scores on the season. He could wind up with his lowest numbers since 1998, yet he’s still the second most valuable receiver on the likely No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Gonzalez worries about a possible lockout and his desire to play in 2011.
“Right now, I feel great, though,” Gonzalez said. “I can tell you if it came down to coming back next year, I could do it easily from a physical standpoint.”