ORLANDO, Fla. _ Tony Gonzalez finished his 17-year NFL career as one of the all-time great tight ends with more than 1,300 catches, more than 15,000 receiving yards and playing in a record-tying 12 Pro Bowls.
The closest he ever got to the Super Bowl came after the 2012 season, when the Atlanta Falcons lost 28-24 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
When it comes to the Super Bowl, Gonzalez was no Tom Brady. No shame there. Nobody has been, not with Brady preparing for his record seventh Super Bowl as a player when he leads the New England Patriots against the Falcons on Feb. 5 in Houston.
"I think he is going to make the Hall of Fame now," Gonzalez joked this week at a media event at Lake Lorna Doone Park in Orlando as part of Pro Bowl week. "He is a special, special football player, and to go along with Bill Belichick, both of those guys together, it's almost not fair at times. Those guys are on a different planet, the way they approach the game."
Gonzalez will be a legends captain for the Pro Bowl Sunday night at Camping World Stadium. ESPN will broadcast the game.
Brady, a seemingly ageless 39, can match former 49ers and Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Charles Haley for the most Super Bowls (five) won by a player and break a tie with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for the most won by a quarterback.
The Falcons' Matt Ryan will be the sixth QB to play chess against Brady for the NFL's most prized possession, the Lombardi Trophy. Only Eli Manning of the Giants has called checkmate against him. Russell Wilson came inches from accomplishing that, and Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme and Donovan McNabb are retired.
Brady is going strong.
"He's already said he wants to play till he's 45," said Gonzalez, who, at age 40, has not played in three seasons. "To me, if I were in that position, if I had five rings _ I am going for the Falcons, but let's say he does win _ I'm walking away. It's like, 'What is there left to do?' But he has just got that crazy, crazy work ethic and passion for football."
That's why Gonzalez does not see Super Bowl LI as the last time that Brady will play in the NFL's last game of the year.
"I don't know if it ever will be matched," Gonzalez said. "It's almost like the Jerry Rice receiving record (22,895 career yards)."
