Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez will replace Vernon Davis on 2014 Pro Bowl roster
By Brad Rowland
Dec 29, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) waves to the fans after the game against the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers won 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
When the 2014 Pro Bowl rosters emerged a few weeks ago, it wasn’t a shocking development to see that no member of the Atlanta Falcons was selected. However, if there was a guy with a legitimate claim on a spot, it was almost certainly the newly-retired Tony Gonzalez, and now, he’ll be headed to Hawaii to take the field one last time.
As we said yesterday, Tony Gonzalez wanted to play in Pro Bowl as 2nd alternate. Now he's been added to roster.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) January 22, 2014
Multiple outlets are now reporting that Gonzalez will replace San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis on the Pro Bowl roster, and that’s great news. It is apparent that we brought you the Tony Gonzalez retrospective a few weeks too early (our bad, Tony), simply because we now have to update his list of accomplishments with a 14th (yes, 14th) Pro Bowl selection during his Hall of Fame, 17-year career.
It was a big season in 2013 for Gonzalez, as he pulled in 79 catches for 803 yards and 8 touchdowns, and frankly, he would’ve been a lock for an initial selection if Atlanta’s record wasn’t disastrous. Still, he is very deserving, and the opportunity to see him grace the field one more time (even in the lowly Pro Bowl) is one that many Atlanta fans will cherish.