HOF Preview: Tony Gonzalez helped change tight end position

ATLANTA >> Matt Ryan was in only his second season in 2009 when he kept hearing newly acquired tight end Tony Gonzalez insist he was open on plays.

“I would go back and watch the film and he was like completely covered,” Ryan said.

Covered? The Atlanta Falcons quarterback saw play after play where Gonzalez was surrounded by two or three defenders.

“I was like, ‘What are you talking about, man?’” Ryan said. “And he was like, ‘Nah, if you just put it in this one spot, it’ll be perfect.’ It took me a while to develop that trust to let it rip and throw it to this spot, but he was right. He was open, and if you could deliver the ball in a spot that he could make a play, he didn’t let you down.”

It was the ability of Gonzalez to make those tough catches, especially on third down and in the red zone, that helped make him a first-ballot pick who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Gonzalez became the most productive tight end in NFL history in his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Falcons. He was elected to the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame in 2018 and says he’s grateful to fan bases in Kansas City and Atlanta.

“Chiefs fans know how I feel about them and so do the Atlanta Falcons fans,” he said.

Chiefs president Mark Donovan said Friday, “We’ll always think of Tony as a Chief.”

“We have a great relationship with Tony,” Donovan said. “I think one of the things that gets lost in this, if you played for a bunch of teams you’re in a tough spot. You have to take care of all the fans. Tony is a Chief and we appreciate everything he did for the organization.”

Gonzalez’s mark on the game was about more than his 1,325 receptions, second only to Jerry Rice in league history.

A six-time All-Pro and member of the NFL All-Decade Teams of the 2000s, Gonzalez played a lead role in revolutionizing the tight end position. Instead of just coming out of a blocking stance to catch passes like oldschool tight ends, Gonzalez lined up all over the field, forcing mismatches with slower linebackers or smaller defensive backs.