Tony Gonzalez Signs Contract Extension; Will Return To Falcons In 2012

Tony Gonzalez will be playing a 16th NFL season after all, signing a one-year extension with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

The future Hall-of-Fame tight end finished the 2011 regular season with 80 receptions for 875 yards and seven touchdowns for the playoff-bound Falcons.

Gonzalez, who will turn 36 on February 27, is second on the NFL's all-time receptions list at 1,149, though he trails the great Jerry Rice by a significant amount. Rice caught 1,549 passes in his standout career.

"Very happy to be coming back next year to play. I love everything about the Falcons and the city of Atlanta," Tweeted Gonzalez, who spent the first 12 seasons of his 15-year career in Kansas City.

Gonzalez has missed just two games since being drafted by the Chiefs with the 13th overall pick in the 1997 draft, and has caught at least 59 passes every season after his rookie year.

He owns all the significant tight end records, including most career receiving yards (13,338), most receptions in a single season (102) and most touchdown catches (95).

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