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| Tony Gonzalez's final farewell after losing to the 49ers may not be his final farewell after all. Photo credit to Bleacher Report. |
No, Ray Lewis will not be back in 2013, although I’m sure
some Ravens fans wouldn’t mind an offseason ‘Lewis Watch.’
But two other veterans may put off retirement plans.
The first is London Fletcher, the middle linebacker for the
Washington Redskins. There have been questions about whether he will retire for
the past three years, and many people felt strongly that this would be his last
run. But after the team made the playoffs this year, and with high expectations
for next year, Fletcher has not made a decision on his retirement plans.
I anticipate him returning next season, but I won’t be
shocked if he does opt to hang up his cleats. He has had a very impressive
career. He led the league in tackles in 2011, his 14th season in the
NFL, and he again led the Redskins in tackles last season. It would be a huge
loss to the team if he retires, but I think most Redskins fans know we can’t
ask any more of him than what he’s already given the team, so we’ll respect his
decision either way.
The other player whose highly anticipated retirement might
be put off is Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez. As the 2012 season wound down,
Gonzalez never waivered from his stance that this would be his last run. It
seems he may finally have strayed from that decision.
The Falcons had yet another excellent regular season, and
their postseason victory over the Seahawks was the first playoff win of
Gonzalez’s career, despite also playing on excellent Chiefs teams in the
mid-2000s.
Perhaps the joy of that postseason win and the NFC
Championship appearance is something he wants more of. Gonzalez clearly is
still at the top of his game and is absolutely among the top four tight ends in
the NFL right now.
Atlanta has not set a deadline for him to make a decision.
His future is the top priority for the Falcons right now, even over Matt Ryan,
whose contract will be up after the 2013 season.
Tony Gonzalez has said that if he does return, it will not
be anywhere but Atlanta. I’m sure the Falcons appreciate that, but they’ll
appreciate it more if he returns.
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