FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons today agreed to acquire 10-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. In exchange, the Falcons gave the Chiefs their second round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Gonzalez, 6-5, 251 pounds, has established himself as one of the premier tight ends in NFL history following 12 seasons, all with Kansas City. A native of Torrance, California, Gonzalez holds League records for the most receptions (916), receiving yards (10,940) and touchdown catches (76) by a tight end. His 10 Pro Bowl selections are more than any other tight end in the game and he has also earned eight first or second-team Associated Press All-Pro selections, his latest coming last season.
“Tony brings a new dynamic to the Falcons offense and we are very pleased that we were able to make the trade with Kansas City,” said Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff. “His career numbers and records are top notch and he will no doubt be an integral part of our offense.”
Gonzalez has competed in 190 career games with 174 starts in a Chiefs uniform. The University of California graduate has compiled four 1,000-yard receiving campaigns, 26 100-yard receiving contests and is just the fifth player and the first tight end in NFL history to produce 11 consecutive seasons with 50 or more receptions. Gonzalez’s career numbers lead all Kansas City receivers in franchise history and his 916 career catches are the ninth-most in NFL history and fourth-highest among active players.
“Tony is one of the best tight ends in NFL history and will be a great addition to our team,” said Head Coach Mike Smith. “He will be a leader both on and off the field for our organization.”
Last season, Gonzalez caught a team-high 96 passes for 1,058 yards (11.0 avg.) and 10 touchdowns (second in the AFC). His reception total led all NFL tight ends and was tied for fourth among all receivers while his yardage total ranked sixth overall in the AFC. Gonzalez also ranked tied for first among tight ends in the League and was second in the NFL among all receivers with 29 third down catches. Against the Tennessee Titans on October 19, 2008, he surpassed Shannon Sharpe (10,060) for the most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history on a six-yard catch in the first quarter. For his efforts in 2008, Gonzalez was selected to his 10th Pro Bowl as a starter and was named a first-team Associated Press All-Pro.
“Tony’s arrival will make an instant impact not only on the offensive side of the ball, but on the overall team in general,” said Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. “I feel privileged to be throwing the ball to a future Hall of Famer and I’m anxious to get on the field to start working with him.”
RELATED LINKS:
- BIO: Click here for Gonzalez stats on NFL.com
- BLOG: More on the Tony Gonzalez trade from J. Michael Moore
- DRAFT: Draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com
- TWITTER: Follow the Falcons (and get first notice on draft picks) with Twitter
