Gonzalez plans return to Chiefs unless he hears the R word (rebuild)

[royr17]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/961410.html

Gonzalez plans return to Chiefs unless he hears the R word (rebuild)

By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Tony Gonzalez will soon make his annual postseason trip to Hawaii to play in the Pro Bowl. Upon his return, he should have a better idea about which direction the Chiefs are headed.

By then, the Chiefs will likely have a new general manager and a decision on whether coach Herm Edwards will be retained.

At that point, Gonzalez will decide whether he will again ask for a trade.

“As far as I know, I’ll be a Chief next year,” Gonzalez said. “Depending on what Clark (Hunt) wants to do, if he wants to blow this whole thing up and bring in a new coaching staff and bring in a new coordinator with that and bring in a new quarterback in the draft, that all weighs into whether or not I want to be a Chief next year.

“As far as I’m concerned, as a veteran on this team going into my 13th year next year, the last thing I want to hear is ‘rebuild.’ I’m not into it. If they come in here and they want to blow it all up, I’ll be frustrated and I’ll be a little (ticked) off.

“There are some really good coaches on this staff. I want Herm back, I want (offensive coordinator Chan Gailey) back. I want my position coach, Jon Embree, back. These guys are going to take us in the direction we want to go.”

Gonzalez indicated he would play only one more season, at least if he stays with the Chiefs. In that case, it might benefit the Chiefs to at least listen to trade offers for Gonzalez, though those offers might not be overwhelming given that Gonzalez is nearing the end of his career.

“In reality, it’s just like this year,” he said. “If they don’t want to let me go, they don’t have to let me go and I’d have to deal with it. I’d still come back and play hard. But there’s only one year left in that. If they want to get something for me, that’s when I would say, ‘Why don’t you get something for me?’

“I’m just being honest. I’m just talking candidly here. No matter what happens, I’ll try to make it work for the best. Whatever team I’m on — hopefully it’s this team — we can build something special.”

Even at 32 and while playing for a 2-14 team, Gonzalez had one of his best seasons. That seemed improbable early in the year when the Chiefs continually shuffled their quarterbacks.

His season turned around when Tyler Thigpen took over for good at quarterback. That’s one reason Gonzalez would prefer to see the Chiefs stay with Thigpen, at least if they continue in the spread offensive formation.

“I think Tyler is the guy, especially for this offense,” Gonzalez said. “If they want to keep this offense in place, why would you need to go out there and get another quarterback? He’s perfect for this offense. If you want to go out there and get a dropback quarterback, then maybe you might want to get another quarterback.

“Tyler’s proven himself. He’s come out of nowhere and shown he can be an elite quarterback in this league. People need to keep in mind that it was his first year starting. He came into this season just hoping to be the third-string quarterback and now he’s pressed into the starting spotlight. I think he handled it well.

“If he gets a whole offseason and gets the (practices) and the whole camp and gets his confidence going that he’s going to be the guy, then I think he can be a pretty good quarterback in this league for a long time.”

Gonzalez and outgoing president/general manager Carl Peterson said their goodbyes after the Chiefs returned from Cincinnati Sunday night when they bumped into each other while having dinner at the Capital Grille on the Plaza.

Gonzalez was upset with Peterson for a time after the Chiefs failed to trade Gonzalez in October.

“Our relationship has healed,” Gonzalez said. “We were frustrated but I’m not going to hold a grudge forever. Whatever he does, I’m sure he’ll be successful. Twenty years as a general manager of an NFL team, that’s unheard of, especially nowadays. He should be proud of that. He had some real good football teams.”

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

I have NO MISUNDERSTANDING. It's very clear, if Herm is gone, Tony wants to become a distraction. He has NO say-that we agree on. Since he has no say, the only thing he can do, is become very vocal about it, which is what he is doing. He's becoming a distraction and made it VERY CLEAR, he doesn't want to be here, unless our shitty coached is retained. We'll we should accomodate both Tony and the coach and get rid of both of them. I like Tony, I thought it was stupid to want to trade him, but he believes he's above the team. When that starts taking place, it's time to move on and get what we can.

Thats all fine...just trying to counter this "he hasn't honored his contract" nonsense.

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

I'm clinging to the last of the greats. I've seen too many QB's not pan out. It is very rare that rookie QB's lead their team to the playoffs, this year is an exception not a rule.

I think i'll survive if Tony GEE doesn't play another 2 years...he won't leave unless we trade him. Even if we draft a new QB that guy won't play immediatly.

[|Zach|]

At the end of the day I think it is weird that Tony gets crapped on as much as he does from CP as a whole while DT is put up on a pedestal as untouchable. The circumstances are different...I understand it but it still strikes me as odd. The guy totally embarrasses the franchise on national television and there isn't a woman in the city who he didn't have a kid with yet Tony is this monster for being honest with people in interviews.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Thats all fine...just trying to counter this "he hasn't honored his contract" nonsense.

If he's traded... how is that Honoring his contract with the Chiefs?

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

If he's traded... how is that Honoring his contract with the Chiefs?

Aside from you bringing something up that hasn't already happened...

If he is traded then the team agreed to trade him. That isn't not honoring your contract.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Zouk

Yeah - no way Herm could get a team to the Super Bowl.

Do you really think he's going to get another chance as a head coach?

The difference between all these other coaches you're citing and Herm is that they succeeded in their second stints.

HERM ****ING FAILED MISERABLY.

[Zouk]

Originally Posted by Claythan

Do you really think he's going to get another chance as a head coach?

The difference between all these other coaches you're citing and Herm is that they succeeded in their second stints.

HERM ****ING FAILED MISERABLY.

He did fail this year - there's no question about that. But what he failed to do was go 6-10, which he easily could have done if some things fell his way. This team could not compete this year. The Chiefs were $22 million under the salary cap while the next closest team was $11 million under. That's amazing. Expecting this team to play like it had a Manning or a Brady is ridculous.

There was 1 core young player here when Herm came - Jared Allen. ONLY ONE. Derrick Johnson is a mediocre linebacker and LJ is not a complete winning player. No team - not even the Lions - had a comparable lack of young talent. Look at those early to mid 2000 drafts again.

This offseason will bring free agents, more high draft picks, and the maturation of a group of 10-15 2nd and 3rd year players who typically make huge leaps in those years. I think he should get a truly fair chance to coach what he built next year. But I'm also a realist and understand you can't sell tickets with a coach who went 4-12 and 2-14 the last two years. He will die for Carl Peterson's sins, but the next regime will owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Zouk

the next regime will owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

Yes, they will love dumping half his failed draft picks.

[chiefsngop]

Sorry Tony G, thanks for the memories, you'll always be one of my favorite Chiefs.

But Tyler Thigpen is not a real starting NFL quarterback, and Herman Edwards is not a real NFL Head Coach.

The Carl Peterson days are finally over Big Tony, and reality is finally going to set in around Arrowhead ; meaning these beloved D-bags of yours are either riding the pine or heading down the road.

If you wish to follow, I'm sorry, but so be it.

[FringeNC]

Tony's been traumatized with regards to the word "rebuilding" through the incompetence of Carl and Herm. Rebuilding, in its only meaningful definition, is simply having a good draft.

Tony's real concern appears to be whether Tyler Thigpen remains the starting quarterback. After shit-canning Herm, and hiring a new HC, evaluating Thigpen should be the next task for the new GM.

[blueballs]

JoPo could have taken this and made Tony G a hero
Teicher's spin is always down
pick out the facts and make up your own mind

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Tony's been traumatized with regards to the word "rebuilding" through the incompetence of Carl and Herm. Rebuilding, in its only meaningful definition, is simply having a good draft.

Tony's real concern appears to be whether Tyler Thigpen remains the starting quarterback. After shit-canning Herm, and hiring a new HC, evaluating Thigpen should be the next task for the new GM.

Exactly, but if Tony can't differentiate between the two then good riddance. This ****er thinks he's the GM.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Zouk

Yeah - no way Herm could get a team to the Super Bowl.

He only won in the playoffs against Brees, LT, Merriman in SD on the road and was a field goal away from beating the 15-1 Roethlisberger-led Steelers on the road to go to the AFC championship game while playing with a QB with a torn rotator cuff, and with a team who's only Hall of Fame player was a running back over the age of 30.

Peoples' memories are so short. Dungy could never win a SB in Tampa, Belichick could never win a SB in Cleveland. And 2 or 3 years from now people will be calling for Tony Sparano, John Harbaugh, and/or Mike Smith's heads.

I'll keep tilting at windmills for a couple of days more until the execution notice is officially signed. But there is just an amazing amount of wrong conventional wisdom among NFL fans.

WTF?

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by Zouk

He will die for Carl Peterson's sins, but the next regime will owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

we'll put a picture of him above one of the toilets in the locker room....

"To Herm, you are one of only 5,000,000,000 people who could have stood on the sidelines and done nothing while a bunch of young players sucked all year long. Ending with a non-competitive loss to a 3 win team will be your ever lasting contribution to our long history of failure."

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Zouk

He did fail this year - there's no question about that. But what he failed to do was go 6-10, which he easily could have done if some things fell his way. This team could not compete this year. The Chiefs were $22 million under the salary cap while the next closest team was $11 million under. That's amazing. Expecting this team to play like it had a Manning or a Brady is ridculous.

There was 1 core young player here when Herm came - Jared Allen. ONLY ONE. Derrick Johnson is a mediocre linebacker and LJ is not a complete winning player. No team - not even the Lions - had a comparable lack of young talent. Look at those early to mid 2000 drafts again.

This offseason will bring free agents, more high draft picks, and the maturation of a group of 10-15 2nd and 3rd year players who typically make huge leaps in those years. I think he should get a truly fair chance to coach what he built next year. But I'm also a realist and understand you can't sell tickets with a coach who went 4-12 and 2-14 the last two years. He will die for Carl Peterson's sins, but the next regime will owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

Why are you defending our reeruned coach? Moron.