Tony Gonzalez Reportedly Was Unhappy He Wasn't Traded

I love Tony Gonzalez.  He has been great for Atlanta.  But it looks like Tony doesn't think the opposite was true for 2013.  Already discussed by some other writer on this site, Gonzalez talked about Matt Ryan and eliteness, which seemed pretty interesting for a day where nothing happened in football.

Gonzalez was the subject of a feature piece in ESPN the Magazine.  This magazine, or a periodical publication containing articles and illustrations (like a webpage on paper), had plenty of interesting tidbits.  Or expressions of disappointment with staying with the Falcons for the entire 2013 season.

The magazine is out tomorrow, and the good staff at the Falcoholic (meaning not me) will provide you the news once they get a chance to fully read through the Gonzalez piece.  What else is in there, other than Ryan being not elite?  Gonzalez discussed the possibility of unretiring, if Atlanta is playing well and could use a tight end the last month or two of the season.  Brett Favre approves.

Here is a very interesting quote from Gonzalez about his thoughts at the trade deadline, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN:

"You trade me to a team that needs me, that wants to make a serious run in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. You get something in return for a guy who you know won't be here next year. And the season isn't going anywhere anyway. That's rational." At the trade deadline, Gonzalez sat at a restaurant with his wife and waited to hear which team it would be. When that call never came, he was not happy.

It makes sense.  I felt at the time it would be best for Gonzalez if he was traded to a team without multiple problems.  I also felt Atlanta should keep him, because at Matt Ryan didn't have any offensive threats left.  For Ryan's health and development, Gonzalez should have stayed.

But he was never traded.  He finished up a fine season with a four-win team.  And in the midst of that season he talked in front of a reporter about that disappointment, justified or not, with how everything worked out.

Edit: Pro Football Talk has gotten some more of this article.  They are things that will not make you feel good.

This one makes me understand Gonzalez a little more:

Wickersham explains that Gonzalez decided he was definitely done a few days later, after Packers safety Morgan Burnett yelled, "F–k you! You ain’t sh-t!" to Gonzalez and none of his teammates came to Gonzalez’s defense.

And this one, much... much less.

"He bitches to teammates about losing," Wickersham writes. "He pouts about the constant double-teams. He muses about telling everyone to kiss his ass goodbye." Gonzalez is quoted as saying he "acted like a pissed-off kid" after not being traded.