Thomas Dimitroff expects Tony Gonzalez to retire
Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez walks the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez was always expected to call it quits following the 2013 season, as he’s been mulling retirement for quite some time. But he’s left the door open with some coy comments recently, and I wonder if the 2013 season has left a sour taste in the Hall of Famer’s mouth. Not only did the Falcons severely underperform in a disappointing season marred by injury, but Gonzalez also admitted that he was upset when the team didn’t trade him to a contender- GM Thomas Dimitroff was unwilling to throw in the towel on the season, which was an admirable decision but is fair to criticize.
It will be interesting to see if Gonzalez decides to call it quits this offseason, but something tells me he’s going to try to sign on with a contender and make a final push for that elusive Super Bowl ring. I’m not expecting Gonzalez to return to Atlanta, and it sounds like the Falcons organization is willing to move on from the 37-year-old Cal product.
Dimitroff pretty much considers his star TE retired, via ESPN NFL Nation’s Vaughn McClure, “I believe Tony Gonzalez has retired and he’ll have a fantastic career in the media business.”
It’s a blunt statement, and it furthers the notion that the man who has never caught less than 70 passes in a season in his career will no longer be playing for the Falcons going forward. Again, all eyes will be peeled on Gonzalez’s decision, and detractors are likening him to Brett Favre.
The move isn’t the problem, but the timing is more than just alarming.