The Atlanta Falcons brought back Tony Gonzalez for one more year with the intention of winning a Super Bowl. The veteran tight end is coming off yet another big season and is expected to lead the offense once again. However, the key to all of this working is staying healthy. The season has yet to start and so far numerous players have already gone down with season-ending injuries. Gonzalez is not looking to be the next.
Last week, Houston Texans safety D.J. Swearinger made a hit on Miami tight end Dustin Keller where he brought him down by the knees. The result was a torn ACL, MCL and PCL for Keller and season finished before it started. Numerous players have taken issue with the tackle while Swearinger said he was simply following the NFL's rules of not hitting helmet to helmet. Gonzalez is not buying it.
The veteran hates that style of play. He called the hit Swearinger made "ridiculous" and would rather a player hit his head than his knees.
"It should be a fineable offense. That's just not part of football - hitting a defenseless player in his knee, that's something we all dread as players. That's my nightmare," Gonzalez said, via USA Today. "Hit me in my head (instead)."
Gonzalez believes that if the league is going to mandate this style of tackling, they should force defenders to take a lower angle instead of wrapping at the knees. Gonzalez says the main target area for tacklers should be above the knees to avoid season-ending injuries.
"I'd rather have a guy hit me head than knife at my knee," Gonzalez said. "You're talking about a career-ending injury. It's going to be so hard for Dustin to come back off of that. It should be a fineable offense, just like going for the head is."
Gonzalez says he has no respect for players that make the style of hit that Swearinger made. The tight end is very close to Keller and believes that his career could really be over after that hit. Keller had only signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins. He really has no insurance to stay with the team after the injury.
Swearinger continues to remain adamant that he was simply following the rules rather than making a dirty play. He notes the league would have fined him if he had made a tackle any other way. He says he also would have cost his team 15 yards with a penalty.
"I saw his (Swearinger's) remark, 'That's just football,' and he showed a little bit of grief for the guy - I'm not buying it at all,'' Gonzalez said. "Don't tell me that the rules prohibit you from hitting a guy up top. You have a whole target area above his knee up to his neck that you can hit. I've watched that play a bunch of times"
