The trade deadline in the NFL came and went Tuesday and at lest one Kansas City Chief hoping to get a ride out of town appears to be staying put. Tight end Tony Gonzalez was not dealt by the team and will remain a Chief.
“I’m shocked,” he said in an exclusive interview with FOXSports.com. “It didn’t make sense not to do this deal. It’s winding down for me and this team is rebuilding. If they said from the get-go, ‘No, we’re not going to trade you,’ that would’ve been better than how this whole thing unfolded. But that’s not what happened.
“Last night I talked to Carl (Peterson, Chiefs President and GM) and I point-blank asked him what it would take to get it done. I wanted to know if it could happen with a fourth (-round pick). He started talking about a second and a fifth like the Shockey deal. Nobody is going to trade a second for a 32-year-old tight end. All along Carl said he would do something that works for both parties. Then he talked about how he traded a third for Willie Roaf, and he made it pretty clear to me that’s what was going to get it done. That was certainly fair.
“But you know what? I can’t cry about it. If anything, this has motivated me even more. I’m a Chief, will be happy to be a Chief and will bust my butt for the Chiefs. I was never not happy being a Chief. I just wanted the chance to spend my last couple of years winning a title, not rebuilding. But I’m here to help rebuild, I’ll work with all our young guys and get after it like I always have.”
I feel for Gonzalez because he’s given everything to that franchise over the years. He’s worked his ass off to become a great player and all the guy wants to do is win. He sees his career winding down and instead of winning playoff games – he’s just hoping to win games, period. The Chiefs are a mess and it’s sad that a great player and person like Gonzo has to go down with the sinking ship. But hey, at least he’s getting paid though, right?
