On Monday Night Football in front of his home crowd against the New York Jets, Tony Gonzalez passed former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison for 6th most receiving yards in NFL history.
Harrison finished his career with 14,580. Gonzalez entered Monday’s game 70 yards shy of the 6th spot on the all-time list. More than likely, Gonzalez will also pass Tim Brown for 5th in the next few games.
In addition, Gonzalez ranks second in career receptions behind only the great Jerry Rice with 1,265 and sixth in receiving touchdowns with 106. Gonzalez also caught a pass on Atlanta’s first drive against the Jets, giving him a reception in 200 consecutive games. The only other player to do that in the history of the league was Jerry Rice, who caught a pass in 247 straight.
Undoubtedly, Tony Gonzalez has reinvented the tight end position in the NFL. With a background in basketball, Gonzo used his athleticism and size to dominate opponents on a weekly basis form the moment he stepped into the league. With more and more receiving tight ends such as Vernon Davis, Jimmy Graham, and Rob Gronkowski becoming stars in today’s game, it wouldn’t be possible without Gonzalez’s contributions. With eleven games left in his career, and still easily one of the most dominant tight ends in football, it will be interesting to see where he finishes on the all-time lists.