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Chiefs, Gonzalez agree to 5-year contract extension
2007-01-12 10:55
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -Tight end Tony Gonzalez and the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed in principle to a five-year contract extension.
The move announced Friday would keep the 10-year veteran and one of the NFL's best tight ends in Kansas City. Gonzalez is two short of the NFL record for most touchdown catches by a tight end.
Terms of the deal were not announced.
``The obvious is he's been a very, very productive player for us. I think for our fans in Kansas City it was important for us to get this done,'' Chiefs president Carl Peterson said in a news release. ``He's done a marvelous job for us both on and off the football field.''
Gonzalez, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, turned 30 this season and was an unrestricted free agent who said he would take a chance to get to the Super Bowl over extra money.
A message left by The Associated Press with Gonzalez's agent was not immediately returned Friday.
Gonzalez has started in 142 of the Chiefs' last 144 games. He holds the franchise record with 721 receptions for 8,710 yards and 61 touchdowns. He's two scores from topping the league record for tight ends held by Shannon Sharpe.
Peterson and coach Herm Edwards both said Thursday that major personnel changes are in store for Kansas City, which finished the regular season 9-7 in Edwards' first year and lost to Indianapolis 23-8 in the first round of the playoffs.
``There will be some tough decisions, no doubt about it. There will be some unpopular decisions at times,'' Edwards said.