The Kansas City Chiefs traded TE Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons after the 2008 season following an amazing 12-year stint with the franchise.  As it turns out, the future Hall of Famer was pushing for a trade to the New York Giants who had just won the Super Bowl.

“I was pushing for that, too. But it didn’t happen; I think they thought I was too old back then,” Gonzalez told the Star Ledger.

There was a lot of talk bouncing around Kansas City leading up to the trade of Gonzalez to the Falcons with plenty of teams rumored to be in the running, but I don’t ever remember either New York team being among them.  It would definitely have been interesting to see him get to play on the huge stage that the Giants provide.  But once the trade back in 2008 didn’t go down, Gonzalez just saw another team he wanted to show he could still play.

The tight end remembered fondly the first time he got to go up against the Giants as a member of the Falcons in 2009 and caught eight passes for 82 yards and a score.  Obviously he’ll be looking to repeat that performance on Sunday when he heads to New York for a playoff game.

As Chiefs fans know all too well, for all of the amazing stats Gonzalez has put up, he has yet to win a playoff game in the NFL.  But as he said when he pushed for a trade out of Kansas City, Gonzalez is looking for much more than just one win beyond Week 17.

“It’s not about just winning a playoff game, I don’t care.  It’s about going out there and hopefully winning a Super Bowl.”

With the Chiefs sitting this postseason out, there are few things to root for, but for a lot of people around Kansas City, Gonzalez finally getting over the playoff hump is a big one.

Gonzalez signed a one-year $7 million extension, one that he went on Twitter to reveal.

Very happy to be coming back next year to play. I love everything about the Falcons and the city of Atlanta.

A reunion between the Chiefs and the greatest TE they’ve ever known seemed like a good fit entering this season.  Kansas City had just won the division and would likely just be looking for a player or two that could put them over the top when Gonzalez was a free agent.  That, however, isn’t such a sure thing after a disappointing season that has already created a lot of questions for next year.

Mughelli made it to the Pro Bowl last season and will be replaced on the active roster by former Kansas City Chiefs FB Mike Cox.

Cox was released by Kansas City during final cuts when they decided not to keep any true fullback instead decided to rely only on free-agent addition Le’Ron McClain.  Following the season-ending injury to Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs brought Cox in for a workout, but decided not to bring the veteran back.

He will join former Chiefs Tony Gonzalez and Will Svitek on the Falcons roster.

After suggesting he might call it quits following the Atlanta Falcons early postseason exit, Tony Gonzalez told Jim Rome on Friday that he “definitely” would be returning for at least one more season.  His PR rep Denise White confirmed the tight end will be back in Atlana in 2011.

“He’s definitely coming back,” said White, the chief executive officer of Los Angeles-based EAG sports management.  “He’s excited to be a Falcon next season and make another run at the Super Bowl.”

Falcons owner Arthur Blank suspected that Gonzalez was leaning toward returning.

“Tony is a first ballot hall of famer,” Blank said on Thursday at the Buckhead Business Association luncheon.  “He played 14 years.  He’s 34 years old.  He has a body of probably somebody who’s 24 years old.”

Any time a player puts as much wear and tear on his body as Gonzalez has over the years, you always have to wonder just how much longer they can play at a high level.  However, as we have seen, we aren’t talking about a normal athlete.

Not only does Gonzalez get nearly $6 million in the final year of his contract, but also is presented with one of his best opportunities to make a run at a championship.  The same team that was 13-3 this season is coming back, including their 25-year old Pro Bowl QB.

Knowing the kind of competitor he is, there’s no guarantee that next season will be the last for Gonzalez.  If he can turn in another big season and falls short of a title, there’s no reason to believe he won’t make one more run and there will be plenty of teams — obviously the Falcons at the head of the line — willing to pay him top dollar for that season.

“It’s always a possibility,” Gonzalez said.  “Year 15 is a long time.”

At game’s end, as his teammates trudged off the sideline to congratulate the Packers, Gonzalez paused a moment.  Sitting on the seatback with his feet on the bench, he looked into the distance.

“Here we go again,” is what the 11-time Pro Bowl tight end said he was thinking.

Gonzalez has one year left on his contract, and the team would like him to return.  Gonzalez, who turns 35 in February, will take time to get away from football and make a decision later.  If he leaves the game now, it won’t be because he isn’t playing at a top level.  He caught 70 passes, made the Pro Bowl and started all 16 games for the 11th time in his 14 seasons.  Following the game, he raved about the team’s core and guaranteed that the Falcons will be one of the NFL’s glamour teams over the next five or six years.

“That’s definitely going to weigh into my decision whether or not I come back,” he said.

Considering Gonzalez will have as good a chance as he ever has to win a title next year, I would be shocked if he wasn’t back for a another season.  He was able to show anyone in the country still watching the game after the score was out of control why he continues to be one of the best when he fought back from an ankle injury to return to the field.

I will continue to hope somehow Gonzalez ends up back in Kansas City for one final run.  But my money would be one more year in Atlanta and then calling it a career.

Former Kansas City Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez, for all of his success in the NFL, has a record of 0-3 in the playoffs.  Now he has another chance to get a victory with the Atlanta Falcons.  Gonzalez talked to the Atlanta media this week about wanting to see the sort of excitement from Falcons fans that he was used to in Kansas City.

“Kansas City — you talk about that home field — there isn’t anything else going on in that town.  They’re just die-hard Chiefs fans out there.

“In Atlanta, you see it.  You see it in spurts.  I’d like to see it a little bit more.  I think they do understand the advantage that it gives you as a home team, to have that crowd going nuts.”

Gonzalez’s teammate Sean Weatherspoon knows all about the reputation of Chiefs fans from his time at Missouri and for his part he wants to “have an earthquake”.  He has been sporting a t-shirt with “Project 115″ on it to represent the decibel level he is hoping the Atlanta fans can reach during today’s game.

That’s all well and good, but it has to be a little disheartening for Gonzalez as he goes for his first playoff win that fans in a dome might not be able to create as much noise as an Arrowhead crowd.  Something tells me that no matter how loud the Falcons fans get today, it won’t be equal to Kansas City at its loudest.

After a very “blah” performance, I can’t imagine Todd Haley was handing out many game balls in the visitors locker room, but there were bright spots that need to be recognized.  With that, here are the best of the best on offense, defense and special teams.

Offense: Jamaal Charles

The Chiefs might have looked rusty as a whole, but Charles picked up right where he left off.  If the time he missed due to his shoulder rehab slowed him down at all, it didn’t show against Atlanta.

He may have only carried the ball 4 times, but he made the best of those opportunities racking up 37 yards.  That’s good for a whopping 9.3 yards per carry.  On the play Cassel fumbled, Charles was going to be the intended target and was easily a step ahead of his man coming across the field out of the backfield.

Early in the second quarter, following one of his two catches Charles asked out of the game while the offense was looking to go no-huddle.  While I’m sure Haley wasn’t too excited to see that from his young running back, to Charles’ credit on the next play he was solid in pass protection despite being winded.

Defense: Cameron Sheffield

He was only credited with two tackles on the day, but the rookie from Troy looked like he belonged.  Sheffield was quick off the corner, held his ground and even managed to knock down a pass in the second half.

Due to Mike Vrabel not playing much, it gave Andy Studebaker, Pierre Walters and Sheffield plenty of reps.  As we all know, the Chiefs will need to have much better performance from a LB corps that has only added Sheffield.  His solid debut is as good a sign as any for a defense that was underwhelming as a whole against the Falcons.

Special Teams: Javier Arenas

Thanks to some convincing early on by Terrence Copper, the rookie took a knee on his first two chances to return a kick.  On the third return, we saw just how Arenas broke records in the SEC.  In the blink of an eye, Arenas went up the middle of the field, broke for the right sideline and only the kicker stopped him from taking the ball to the house.  On his next attempt, Arenas was looking for another big return but slipped (though not before picking up nearly 20 yards).  Then of course there was the nifty 99 yarder for a touchdown, punctuated with a bad ass stiff arm to the kicker.  That one, however, was called back on a penalty.

Not too shabby for the kid.

“When you win four games, any win is a positive thing as far as trying to figure out how to win,” guard Brian Waters said.  “We haven’t won very many games the last three years.  Winning football games can be contagious.

“As a young football team, I think you have to have that mentality.  We understand preseason games don’t count, but we also understand that they matter.”

Nothing suggests coach Todd Haley will sell out to win tonight’s game.  He didn’t disclose his plans for using the regulars, but it’s unlikely they will play more than the first quarter, if they even last that long.

Still, Haley is looking for ways to jump-start the process of turning the Chiefs in a different direction and in that regard tonight’s game can be an opportunity.

“When you haven’t won a lot of games, you have to learn how to win,” Haley said.  “Winning is critical to us.”

I have no issue when people disregard preseason records, but you can tell a lot by watching each team closely.  How did they lose, did the starters put together solid drives?

Was there anyone that was encouraged by what the Chiefs did in the preseason last season?  If you remember, all four of those games were close enough on the scoreboard but the team was a disappointment across the board, capped by an injury to Matt Cassel and the firing of Chan Gailey.

There are so many young players throughout the roster that a win in at least a couple of these preseason games will go a long way towards helping with the development of the team.

Here are three players (Offense, Defense and Special Teams) from each team to keep your eyes on.

Chiefs

Offense: Matt Cassel

Last season Cassel got off to a slow start in the preseason, was hurt in the all-important third exhibition and we never saw a whole lot of consistency from the Chiefs signal caller throughout the season.

Going out and having a good couple of series in the second week of August doesn’t guarantee success next month and beyond but it would be a great starting point.

Defense: Derrick Johnson

I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but DJ is in a training camp battle right now with Demorrio Williams for the right to start at inside linebacker.  I know, shocking news.  Todd Haley is already sick of hearing the DJ/Demorrio questions but really until Johnson is starting or on another team I don’t see them going away.

Like Cassel, DJ’s season won’t be defined this weekend, instead he has a chance to secure a few more reps with the first team defense during next week’s practices.

Special Teams: Dexter McCluster

The Chiefs drafted McCluster and Javier Arenas to not only help on offense and defense, respectively, but also cure the long suffering return game.  Arenas was one of the best punt returners ever to play in the SEC and doesn’t have nearly as much to prove when it comes to special team.  McCluster on the other hand, has shown amazing ability in the open field during training camp, but will need to prove he can take to punt and/or kick returns.

We all know he has the moves, now he just needs to show us the instincts.

Falcons

Offense: Kerry Meier

Not the former Kansas City area player you were expecting?

Following a shoulder injury to Michael Jenkins, the spotlight has swung around to a group of young receivers led by the former KU QB-turned-WR Meier.  Even coming off an amazing career at Kansas, I don’t know that anyone expected Meier to have a chance to contribute immediately after the Falcons drafted him in the fifth-round of April’s draft, but that’s exactly where he finds himself going into Friday’s game.

It doesn’t hurt matters that one of his main competitors for playing time — Harry Douglas — will likely be on the sidelines as he continue to rehab a knee injury from last season.

Defense: Sean Weatherspoon

Another local college product will be on the field for the Falcons, except Weatherspoon already knows he will be running with the first team.  Like Meier, Weatherspoon’s opportunity is due to an injury after starter Mike Peterson hurt his calf.

With Peterson having just turned 34, a good start by the former Mizzou star just might put him on the fast track to being the starting weakside linebacker for Atlanta this season.

Special Teams: Eric Weems

You can add Weems to the list of players the Falcons will look to help fill the void left by the Jenkins injury.  More importantly for Weems, though, is his continued improvement in the return game.  He became the primary kick and punt returner last season for Atlanta following Douglas’ trip to IR and he will be looking to hold onto that job for 2010.

Tony Gonzalez left Kansas City with the chance for a Super Bowl ring in his mind.  While he fell short his first year in Atlanta, he has two more years left on his contract.  By then he would retire?  Not so, the former Chiefs great told The Star’s Randy Covitz.

“Physically, I feel like I can play another three, four years at a pretty good level,” he said.  “Right now, everybody knows what I’m playing for.  It’s no secret.  I’m playing for a Super Bowl.  I’m not playing for stats.  I’m not playing for (fame).  I’ve done everything I ever wanted to do in a career.  And more.  Both on and off the field.

“The closure I’m looking for, and I hope I can get … and if I can’t, it’s not going to devastate me.  But that’s what I’m working for, that’s what all my energy is for, that ring.”

In the article, Covitz takes this to mean TG would still be a Falcon when Atlanta is due to visit Kansas City in the regular season.  But what would be preventing Gonzalez from returning to Kansas City in 2012 as a Chief?

If Scott Pioli and Todd Haley’s process goes even close to how it is currently planned, the Chiefs could be in a better position to win the Super Bowl than the Falcons.

Gonzalez talks about closure.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of any better way for him to accomplish that than taking the Chiefs fans along for the ride.

Last year after the trade went down, Gonzalez immediately switched from talking about only having a couple years of playing left in his body to hinting at a contract beyond his current deal.  I said at the time that if he stayed in Atlanta beyond 2011 after passing on the chance to help turn the Chiefs around that it would hurt his legacy in Kansas City and stand by that statement.

The Chiefs are still putting the pieces together and have a way to go before being seen as a Super Bowl contender.  However if they do make strides, how could it hurt to add a Hall of Famer?  Especially when that player is one of the best players in franchise history.