Chiefs Legend Cracks Top 10 in Proud, Yet Unfortunate Ranking

When people think of the most well-known Kansas City Chiefs of all time, Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez surely comes to mind. The former first-round draft pick by the franchise in the 1997 NFL Draft turned himself into a household name and a player that young tight ends try to mold themselves around.

Gonzalez played with the Chiefs from 1997 to the 2008 season. During that span, the Hall of Famer collected 10 Pro Bowl nods, won five of his six All-Pro nods, and collected 10,940 receiving yards. His presence on the field only made the Chiefs better, but what was quickly learned is that no one man can lead a franchise to a Super Bowl championship.

In a recent ranking of the Top 30 players in National Football League history who haven't won a Super Bowl, created by CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo, the Chiefs legend found himself cracking the Top 10. While the appreciation of Gonzalez's game is there, a Super Bowl ring has never graced the legend's finger. Gonzalez ranked eighth.

"Best chance: Despite starring on several talented Chiefs teams, Gonzalez's first playoff win did not come until his 16th season. A member of the Falcons by that time, Gonzalez's 10-yard touchdown reception gave Atlanta a 10-point lead over the 49ers in the divisional round of the 2012 playoffs," DeArdo wrote.

"The Falcons were unable to hang onto their lead, however, as two touchdowns by Frank Gore (another great player that didn't win a Super Bowl) lifted San Francisco to a 28-24 win. Gonzalez retired after the following season as the most prolific tight end in NFL history."

Even into the latter half of his career, Gonzalez was a unit to have on the offensive. Unfortunately, the Chiefs-Gonzalez era came to an end after the 2008 season. During his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons, Gonzalez collected four more Pro Bowl nods and his final All-Pro selection.

Sometimes, players' legacies aren't meant to be made up of championship victories. Some of the best players that the NFL has seen haven't won the Lombardi Trophy with their franchise. For Gonzalez, he will go down in history as one of the best tight ends to play the game, unfortunately, without hardware on his knuckles.

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