Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez is leaving Fox Sports, according to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. Gonzalez has been a studio analyst for the Fox NFL Kickoff pregame show since 2017, and has also been part of the Fox NFL Sunday and Thursday Night Football pregame shows.
McCarthy reports that Gonzalez intends to “focus on TV and film projects,” and notes that Gonzalez made his feature film debut in the 2017 movie xXx: Return of Xander Cage. It’s not hard to see Gonzalez potentially becoming a Hollywood star, especially in the action genre with his imposing presence.
And McCarthy adds that, according to a source, Michael Vick or Emmanuel Acho could replace Gonzalez on Fox NFL Kickoff.
The news of a Gonzalez exit comes just days after Fox hired former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez to be a game analyst. Additionally, Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson was promoted to a full-time role on Fox NFL Kickoff in June.
Gonzalez, 45, was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection, starring with the Kansas City Chiefs (1997-2008) and Atlanta Falcons over his 17-year career.