Tony Gonzalez: Career retrospective

Tony Gonzalez had a standout athletic career at Huntington Beach High School in California, lettering in basketball and football. As his hometown hero status grew, so did the number of college offers he received. Eventually, Gonzalez committed to the University of California at Berkeley. 

Fun fact: Gonzalez won co-Orange County High School Athlete of the Year with Tiger Woods. Years later, they’d both become legends in their respective sports.

Gonzalez became a two-sport athlete at Cal Berkeley as a forward on the basketball team and a tight end on the football team. Over his three-year college career, Gonzalez put up big numbers. He posted 89 catches for 1,302 yards and eight touchdowns in just 34 games in football. In basketball, the 6-foot-5 star netted 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 82 games. He helped the Golden Bears reach the Sweet Sixteen his junior year. The campus celebrity entered the NFL Draft after his junior year, choosing football over basketball.

Seen as an otherworldly talent at tight end, Gonzalez was touted as a top-10 draft prospect — and for a good reason. NFL scouts were intrigued by how his basketball background could translate as a receiver. With the 13th overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Gonzalez.

Gonzalez achieved solid rookie and sophomore seasons as a pro. Adjusting to a full-time football schedule posed some hurdles. You might be surprised to hear this, but Gonzalez led the league in drops in his second season. Frustrated with his early struggles, Gonzalez developed a short memory, worked hard, and created the mindset necessary to allow his physical gifts to flourish. The result: he came into his own during his third NFL season.

Gonzalez had his breakout year in 1999. He logged 76 receptions, 849 yards, and 11 touchdowns. The rebound performance, just a year after several so-called experts wrote him off as a bust, earned Gonzalez his first Pro Bowl nod. It was official. He made it. He would go on to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1999-2008. Over this span, he was the best tight end in football.

Gonzalez had a career year in 2004. The all-world tight end hauled in a league-leading 102 receptions for 1,258 yards and seven touchdowns. Leading the league in receptions is impressive enough. When you do it as a tight end receiving double-team coverages as the focal point of the opposing team’s entire defensive game plan, it’s even more impressive. Even so, the Chiefs went 7-9 and missed the playoffs that year.

Over his 12 years with the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez and Co. enjoyed three playoff trips. (You have to remember, these are the pre-Andy Reid Chiefs.) Gonzalez was the top weapon in an offensive attack that consistently ranked toward the bottom of the league.

Quarterback Trent Green joined the Chiefs in 2001 and became the immediate starter, building one of the great quarterback-tight end duos in NFL history. Gonzalez grabbed 426 receptions for 5,162 yards and 35 touchdowns in 87 games with Green slinging the pigskin, per StatMuse. His ability to get open and make big plays helped Trent Green earn two Pro Bowl nods (2003, '05). 

Besides Green, the 14-time Pro Bowl tight end also caught passes from Elvis Grbac, Damon Huard, and Tyler Thigpen as a Chief.

The Chiefs fought for a 9-7 record and a playoff berth in 2006, losing in the first round. They went 4-12 the following year and 2-14 the year after. The losing seasons started to take their toll on Gonzalez, who wanted to play for a Super Bowl contender as he entered his mid-30s. The Chiefs legend requested a trade.

In April 2009, Gonzalez was traded to the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Draft. All told, he got what he wanted and was playing for a contender. With a young Matt Ryan at quarterback and a formidable team around him, Gonzalez finished the year with 83 receptions for 867 yards and six touchdowns. These numbers were a drop from what was expected out of Gonzalez, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. He didn’t need to put the team on his back anymore.

Gonzalez continued his dominance with the Falcons, snagging 70 catches for 656 yards and six touchdowns at 34 years old — good enough for yet another Pro Bowl nod. He’d receive four Pro Bowl nods in a row with the Dirty Birds.

The Falcons flew to a 13-3 record in 2012. Gonzalez was part of an offense loaded with talent. The 2012 Falcons had Roddy White, Julio Jones, Michael Turner, and Matt Ryan. Considered to be one of the top teams in the NFC, a deep playoff run seemed inevitable. In a heartbreaking fashion, they lost in the NFC Championship Game to the San Francisco 49ers. It was the closest Gonzalez ever got to a championship. He is one of the best players never to have won a Super Bowl.

At 37 years old, Gonzalez played well enough in his last NFL season to go back to the Pro Bowl as his team finished 4-12. Gonzalez hung up the cleats after the season. He retired as the all-time tight ends leader in receptions (1,325) and receiving yards (15,127).

Gonzalez’s legacy in the NFL can be measured by his outstanding statistical production over 17 years. He was top-five in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in what felt like every season.

He possessed generational receiving skills, which made him a matchup nightmare. Defensive coordinators had trouble shutting him down in coverage. Linebackers were too slow to keep up with him, and cornerbacks were too small to contest catches. He could also line up as a slot receiver when needed and became a red zone cheat code, hauling in 111 career touchdowns. Gonzalez was one of the first receiving tight ends in NFL history. And no one’s done it better since.

When we talk about Gonzalez, the first thing that comes to mind is his dynamic playmaking ability. What we forget to mention is how great of a blocker he was. He could hold his own against the finest linebackers and defensive ends in the league. He became an integral part of the Chiefs' rushing attack, which featured a 27-touchdown season from running back Priest Holmes in 2003. While it’s obvious to see why, it’s a shame blocking is an overlooked part of his game.

There is no denying that Gonzalez made his mark on the game of football. Maybe his most long-lasting contribution to the sport is ushering in the era of basketball tight ends. Since Gonzalez became the first college basketball player to be drafted as a tight end, several others have followed suit. Most notably, tight ends Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, and Julius Thomas matched Gonzalez's basketball background and skill set but never surpassed his greatness. Gonzalez’s unique skill set became the modern prototype for the position. 

Gonzalez leads a great life outside of football. He served as a football analyst for CBS and Fox before joining Amazon for Thursday Night Football in 2022.

Gonzalez was named to the NFL All-Century Team in 2019. The team was assembled to honor the 100th anniversary of the NFL. Other tight ends who made the cut are Mike Dikta, Rob Gronkowski, John Mackey, and Kellen Winslow, per NFL.com. Besides Gronk, he is the only tight end from his era to make the team.

Gonzalez received his Canton bust when he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019. He made the Hall just one year into his eligibility. He was a lock the second he stepped off the field. His impressive highlight reel proves he was a big-time playmaker.

What made Gonzalez great? Was it his receiving skills, blocking ability, or leadership? Maybe it was the fact he elevated the play of every quarterback who threw him the ball. Or how about his longevity or stats? Regardless of how you want to chalk it up, Gonzalez is the greatest tight end of all time. The only thing missing is a Super Bowl ring.