NFL trade rumors: Tony Gonzalez open to trade out of Atlanta

Tony Gonzalez has previously said that this would be his final NFL season, so whenever the Atlanta Falcons got off to a dreadful start rumors immediately began to surface that he could be a candidate to be traded before the NFL trade deadline — which comes today at 4 p.m. ET.

The Falcons and Gonzalez have both shot down previous trade talks, but with the deadline approaching in a matter of hours Gonzalez has changed his tune.

While speaking to ESPN, Gonzalez did not openly say that he is asking for a trade, but he is understands how the league works and he would be open to a potential move.

“I totally understand it,” Gonzalez told ESPN.com. “Everybody out there needs to understand that I’m not naive to it. I see it, too. This is the last [nine] weeks of my career. And right now, things are looking … you never know.

“But, like I said, I love my guys on this team too much to go ask for a trade. It would be something that would come from them where they said, ‘Hey, it makes sense because we could get something good for you and send you to a team that’s a contender.’ So I understand the thought process behind that.”

If Gonzalez is to be moved, the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs are all teams that could be possibilities. When the trade rumors first surfaced, those are the teams that were connected to Gonzalez’s name for obvious reasons.

It is still a longshot that Gonzalez will be moved by 4 p.m. ET, but never say never.