FanPost

Appreciating Tony Gonzalez

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"Yeah, you like that vert, Mr. Best CB in the NFL?"

This week may very well be our last week with Tony Gonzalez as a Chief.  We all are acutely aware of Tony's multiple All-Time TE records, and I have become increasingly irritated by the media always qualifying his accomplishments by preceding everything with "Tight End."  For, against, or indifferent to Tony's possible departure, we need to truly appreciate just what Tony has been so far...

An Elite Receiver.

Tony's Career stats:

Receptions: 916
Yards: 10,940
Touchdowns: 76

Before I start listing the extended stats, you can read this next player's stats and feel satisfied if you don't read any further.

Torry Holt - Elite WR

Receptions: 869
Yards: 12,660
Touchdowns: 74

Tony has more receptions and more touchdowns than Torry Holt.  Yes, Tony was drafted 2 years before Holt, but Tony is still regarded as the best TE in the NFL, whereas Holt is widely accepted as past his prime. 

However, even that comparison is pedestrian when looking at the All-Time NFL Leader Rankings.

 

Receptions...

Let's look at receptions.  Tony has 916 at present.

With 916 receptions right now, Tony is the 9th All-Time NFL Leader in Receptions.  He has averaged 76 receptions per year over his career.  If Tony merely continues his 76 receptions per year average (BTW- he has averaged 89.6 receptions over the last 5 years) for the next 2 years and then retires, he will have 1,068 receptions. 

At 1,068 receptions, Tony will be 4th All-Time.

If we give Tony a third year at a 50% reduction in performance from his career reception average of 76 and assume he only has 38 receptions in his third year from now, he would have 1,106 career receptions.

That would place Tony Gonzalez as the 3rd 2nd All-Time NFL Leader in Receptions (assuming Harrison doesn't play again, and Bruce & Owens retire after this year)...Here's the extended current rankings courtesy of walterfootball.com, really look at the names on this list:

 

Rank

Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active

Rec

Rank

Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active

Rec

1.

Jerry Rice

1,549

27.

Michael Irvin+

750

2.

Marvin Harrison (36)

1,102

 

Charlie Joiner+

750

3.

Cris Carter

1,101

29.

Andre Rison

743

4.

Tim Brown

1,094

30.

Gary Clark

699

5.

Isaac Bruce (36)

1,003

31.

Terance Mathis

689

6.

Terrell Owens (35)

951

32.

Joey Galloway (37)

682

 

Andre Reed

951

33.

Herman Moore

670

8.

Art Monk+

940

34.

Ricky Proehl

669

9.

Tony Gonzalez (32)

916

35.

Amani Toomer (34)

668

10.

Keenan McCardell

883

36.

Ozzie Newsome+

662

11.

Torry Holt (32)

869

37.

Charley Taylor+

649

12.

Jimmy Smith

862

38.

Bobby Engram (35)

645

13.

Irving Fryar

851

39.

Drew Hill

634

14.

Rod Smith

849

40.

Don Maynard+

633

15.

Randy Moss (31)

843

41.

Laveranues Coles (31)

631

16.

Larry Centers

827

 

Raymond Berry+

631

17.

Steve Largent+

819

43.

Rob Moore

628

18.

Shannon Sharpe

815

44.

Johnnie Morton

624

19.

Henry Ellard

814

45.

Chad Johnson (30)

612

 

Keyshawn Johnson

814

46.

Keith Byars

610

21.

Muhsin Muhammad (35)

807

47.

Joe Horn

603

22.

Hines Ward (32)

800

48.

Sterling Sharpe

595

23.

Derrick Mason (34)

790

 

Anthony Miller

595

24.

Marshall Faulk

767

50.

Curtis Conway

594

25.

James Lofton+

764

 

 

 

Eric Moulds

764

 

 

 

 

Touchdowns...

How about Tony's touchdowns?

He currently has 76 TD's and is tied for 22nd on the All-Time NFL Receiving TD's list.  He has averaged 6 TD's per year for his career.  If he catches his 6 TD average for the next 2 years, he will have 88 TD's...which will tie him for 10th All-Time.

If we give him a 3rd year at a 50% reduction, he will have 91 TD's ...tied for 9th All-Time.

Again, here's the extended current Receiving TD's ranking:

 

Rank

Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active

TD

Rank

Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active

TD

1.

Jerry Rice

197

25.

James Lofton+

75

2.

Terrell Owens (35)

139

26.

Torry Holt (32)

74

3.

Randy Moss (31)

135

 

Nat Moore

74

4.

Cris Carter

130

28.

Stanley Morgan

72

5.

Marvin Harrison (36)

128

 

Hines Ward (32)

72

6.

Steve Largent+

100

30.

Bob Hayes

71

 

Tim Brown

100

 

Wesley Walker

71

8.

Don Hutson+

99

32.

Gary Collins

70

9.

Isaac Bruce (36)

91

33.

Raymond Berry+

68

10.

Don Maynard+

88

 

Art Monk+

68

11.

Andre Reed

87

 

Rod Smith

68

12.

Lance Alworth+

85

36.

Cliff Branch

67

 

Paul Warfield+

85

 

Jimmy Smith

67

14.

Andre Rison

84

38.

Jimmy Orr

66

 

Tommy McDonald+

84

 

Roy Green

66

 

Irving Fryar

84

40.

Sterling Sharpe

65

 

Mark Clayton

84

 

Sonny Randle

65

18.

Art Powell

81

 

Bobby Mitchell+

65

19.

Harold Carmichael

79

 

Charlie Joiner+

65

 

Charley Taylor+

79

 

Michael Irvin+

65

21.

Joey Galloway (37)

77

 

Henry Ellard

65

22.

Harold Jackson

76

 

Gary Clark

65

 

Tony Gonzalez (32)

76

47.

Keyshawn Johnson

64

 

Fred Biletnikoff+

76

48.

John Stallworth+

63

 

 

 

Carl Pickens

63

 

 

 

Anthony Miller

63

 

 

 

Keenan McCardell

63

 

 

 

Terance Mathis

63

 

 

Yards Receiving...

Tony  is currently 21st All-Time. 

He has averaged 912 yds per year for his career.  Using the same methodology as earlier, Tony would have 12,764 yds for his career if he maintains his average for the next 2 years...placing him at 12th on the All-Time Yards Receiving list.

Again, let's give him a third year at 50% reduced production.  That would be a 456 yard season, giving Tony 13,220 yards total. 

He would be 9th All-Time in Yards Receiving (Yes, Moss is going to alter this projection).

 

Rank

Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active

Yds

Rank

Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active

Yds

1.

Jerry Rice

22,895

20.

Keenan McCardell

11,373

2.

Isaac Bruce (36)

14,944

21.

Tony Gonzalez (32)

10,940

3.

Tim Brown

14,934

22.

Muhsin Muhammad (35)

10,857

4.

Marvin Harrison (36)

14,580

23.

Gary Clark

10,856

5.

Terrell Owens (35)

14,122

24.

Stanley Morgan

10,716

6.

James Lofton+

14,004

25.

Joey Galloway (37)

10,710

7.

Cris Carter

13,899

26.

Keyshawn Johnson

10,571

8.

Henry Ellard

13,777

27.

Harold Jackson

10,372

9.

Randy Moss (31)

13,201

28.

Lance Alworth+

10,266

10.

Andre Reed

13,198

29.

Andre Rison

10,205

11.

Steve Largent+

13,089

30.

Derrick Mason (34)

10,061

12.

Irving Fryar

12,785

31.

Shannon Sharpe

10,060

13.

Art Monk+

12,721

32.

Eric Moulds

9,995

14.

Torry Holt (32)

12,660

33.

Drew Hill

9,831

15.

Jimmy Smith

12,287

34.

Hines Ward (32)

9,780

16.

Charlie Joiner+

12,146

35.

Amani Toomer (34)

9,497

17.

Michael Irvin+

11,904

36.

Rob Moore

9,368

18.

Don Maynard+

11,834

37.

Raymond Berry+

9,275

19.

Rod Smith

11,389

38.

Herman Moore

9,174

 

 

How about one last stat? 

Most Seasons with 50 or more Pass Receptions:

Tony is currently tied for 3rd All-Time with 11.  As stated earlier, he has averaged 76 receptions per year.  If he plays for 2 more years, he will be tied for 2nd All-Time.

If Tony has a 3rd year of 50 receptions, he will be alone in 2nd place All-Time.

 

Most Seasons, 50 or More Pass Receptions

17

Jerry Rice, San Francisco, 1986-1996, 1998-2000;

Oakland, 2001-02

13

Andre Reed, Buffalo, 1986-1994, 1996-99

11

Cris Carter, Minnesota, 1991-2000

Tim Brown, L.A. Raiders, 1993-1994; Oakland, 1995-2003

Shannon Sharpe, Denver 1992-98; Baltimore, 2000-01; Denver, 2002-03

Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis, 1996-2006

Isaac Bruce, St. Louis, 1995-97, 1999-2004, 2006-07

 

Tony isn't just a great Chief or just the greatest Tight End of All-Time.  Tony is one of the greatest Receivers of All-Time

Thank you, Tony.

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via cache.daylife.com

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.