Hall of Fame quest begins for Chiefs great Tony Gonzalez

The Pro Football Hall of Fame quest for former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez is now official.

Gonzalez, who spent 12 of his 17 NFL seasons with the Chiefs, was one of 102 modern era nominees for the Class of 2019 announced on Thursday.

Gonzalez was one of the game’s most productive players. He ranks second in NFL history with 1,325 receptions and is the Chiefs’ career record holder for receptions (916) and receiving yards (10.940).

Joining Gonzalez on the ballot are three other players in their first year of eligibility: cornerback Champ Bailey, safety Ed Reed and linebacker London Fletcher.

Also on the ballot are former Chiefs coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Dick Vermeil.

The nominees will be reduced to 25 in November and 15 in January. The selection committee will meet on Feb. 2, 2019, at the Super Bowl in Atlanta to elect the class. Four-to-eight new members will be selected.

Before then, Gonzalez will be inducted in the Chiefs Ring of Honor on Dec. 13.

It could be a banner year for the Chiefs in this next class. Besides the modern-era nominees, Johnny Robinson, a star on the 1960s Chiefs teams that went to two Super Bowls and won one, was selected as a Senior nominee for enshrinement.

Blair Kerkhoff

Blair Kerkhoff covers the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and college sports for The Star.

This story was originally published September 13, 2018 at 4:00 PM.