Tony Gonzalez returning to Atlanta Falcons: The record book damage he could wreak

Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Where could our favorite tight end rank at the end of his final season?

Maybe the greatest player to ever play for the Falcons is also about to become one of the greatest Falcons ever. You get the difference.

Tony Gonzalez, the best tight end the NFL has had, will be remembered more as a Chief than as a Falcon by most observers, even if very neat things happen next February. But his contributions in Atlanta are still likely to rank him among the best-ever Birds even though he'll only have graced us with five of his years.

And another solid year will make it even harder for, say, Jason Witten to make a run at those all-time tight end records.

To see where he could rank, let's pencil Gonzalez in for 75 catches, 750 yards, and six touchdowns. That would be a smidge behind his current Atlanta average of 81.5 catches, 832 yards, and 6.75 scores, but the man's going to be nearly 38 in January. I'm 31 and can assure you that crossing 30 is kind of like beginning a stringent regimen of anti-steroids, so doing this s--- at 38 sounds about as conceivable as squatting the moon. Plus certain acquisitions could make the team slightly less desperate for his third down miracles - Steven Jackson's pretty good on third downs, for instance. But anyway.

(SIDE NOTE: More should be made of the fact that bringing on Jackson would mean two of the three best Oregon State backs ever being in the same NFL backfield, maybe even at the same time. Dam! Like a beaver.)

More: League-wide free agency coverage, 'round the clock

Such a season would rearrange certain record books as follows:

NFL records

Other non-retired players in italics.


	Before 2013			After 2013
Rank	Player	Catches	Rank	Player	Catches
1	Jerry Rice	1549	1	Jerry Rice	1549
2	Tony Gonzalez	1242	2	Tony Gonzalez	1317
3	Marvin Harrison	1102	3	Marvin Harrison	1102
4	Cris Carter	1101	4	Cris Carter	1101
5	Tim Brown	1094	5	Tim Brown	1094
6	Terrell Owens	1078	6	Terrell Owens	1078
7	Isaac Bruce	1024	7	Reggie Wayne	1058
8	Hines Ward	1000	8	Isaac Bruce	1024
9	Randy Moss	982	9	Hines Ward	1000
10	Reggie Wayne	968	10	Randy Moss	982
Rank	Player	Yards	Rank	Player	Yards
1	Jerry Rice	22895	1	Jerry Rice	22895
2	Terrell Owens	15934	2	Terrell Owens	15934
3	Randy Moss	15292	3	Randy Moss	15292
4	Isaac Bruce	15208	4	Isaac Bruce	15208
5	Tim Brown	14934	5	Tony Gonzalez	15018
6	Marvin Harrison	14580	6	Tim Brown	14934
7	Tony Gonzalez	14268	7	Marvin Harrison	14580
8	James Lofton	14004	8	Reggie Wayne	14263
9	Cris Carter	13899	9	James Lofton	14004
10	Henry Ellard	13777	10	Cris Carter	13899
Rank	Player	TDs	Rank	Player	TDs
1	Jerry Rice	197	1	Jerry Rice	197
2	Randy Moss	156	2	Randy Moss	156
3	Terrell Owens	153	3	Terrell Owens	153
4	Cris Carter	130	4	Cris Carter	130
5	Marvin Harrison	128	5	Marvin Harrison	128
6	Tony Gonzalez	103	6	Tony Gonzalez	109
7	Steve Largent	100	7	Steve Largent	100
7	Tim Brown	100	7	Tim Brown	100
9	Don Hutson	99	9	Don Hutson	99
10	Isaac Bruce	91	10	Antonio Gates	92
	Before 2013			After 2013

Falcons records

Let's sim up some conservative numbers for Roddy White and Julio Jones too. Yes, our franchise's history is so bleak that a guy who just got here could start cracking the books.


	Before 2013			After 2013
Rank	Player	Catches	Rank	Player	Catches
1	Roddy White	622	1	Roddy White	712
2	Terance Mathis	573	2	Terance Mathis	573
3	Andre Rison	423	3	Andre Rison	423
4	Alfred Jenkins	360	4	Tony Gonzalez	401
5	Tony Gonzalez	326	5	Alfred Jenkins	360
6	Alge Crumpler	316	6	Alge Crumpler	316
7	Jim Mitchell	305	7	Jim Mitchell	305
8	William Andrews	277	8	William Andrews	277
9	Michael Jenkins	276	9	Michael Jenkins	276
10	Michael Haynes	266	10	Michael Haynes	266
Rank	Player	Yards	Rank	Player	Yards
1	Roddy White	8725	1	Roddy White	9925
2	Terance Mathis	7349	2	Terance Mathis	7349
3	Alfred Jenkins	6267	3	Alfred Jenkins	6267
4	Andre Rison	5633	4	Andre Rison	5633
5	Jim Mitchell	4358	5	Jim Mitchell	4358
6	Michael Haynes	4220	6	Michael Haynes	4220
7	Alge Crumpler	4212	7	Alge Crumpler	4212
8	Wallace Francis	3695	8	Tony Gonzalez	4078
9	Bert Emanuel	3600	9	Wallace Francis	3695
10	Michael Jenkins	3512	10	Bert Emanuel	3600
Rank	Player	TDs	Rank	Player	TDs
1	Terance Mathis	57	1	Roddy White	60
2	Andre Rison	56	2	Terance Mathis	57
3	Roddy White	52	3	Andre Rison	56
4	Alfred Jenkins	40	4	Alfred Jenkins	40
5	Alge Crumpler	35	5	Alge Crumpler	35
6	Michael Haynes	34	6	Michael Haynes	34
7	Jim Mitchell	28	7	Tony Gonzalez	33
8	Wallace Francis	27	8	Jim Mitchell	28
9	Tony Gonzalez	27	9	Julio Jones	27
10	Bert Emanuel	24	9	Wallace Francis	27
	Before 2013			After 2013