Turner, 31, rushed for 800 yards and 10 touchdowns last season as the Falcons reached the NFC Championship Game. It marked the fifth straight season in which he reached double figures in TDs.

Turner split time in 2012 with second-year pro Jacquizz Rodgers. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Turner was on the field for 503 snaps and Rodgers took part in 502.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Turner has spent the past five seasons with the Falcons after playing his first four years with the San Diego Chargers. He has rushed for 7,338 yards and 66 TDs in 134 career games.

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The Falcons have been exerting tremendous pressure on Gonzalez to make one more Super Bowl run, and sources said he’s wavering from his intention to retire for the first time. While he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, Gonzalez said at his locker after Atlanta’s season ended in the NFC Championship Game that if he were to return he would be interested in playing only for the Falcons.

While the Falcons would certainly like to have a commitment from Gonzalez before free agency begins March 12, sources say no deadlines have been established.

Gonzalez is tempted because he knows — barring major injuries to key players — the Falcons have the talent to go deep into the postseason, and there has been no evidence to suggest his own performance has declined.

A 13-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 38 on Feb. 27, Gonzalez holds NFL records for touchdown receptions (107) and reception yards (14,268) by a tight end. He had 93 catches for 930 yards and 8 touchdowns last season.

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Gonzalez said late in the season he was 95 percent sure he would retire. He even moved that figure up to 97 percent after the Falcons won a playoff game against Seattle. After losing the NFC Championship Game to San Francisco, Gonzalez said he still intended to retire.

Dimitroff, who has been lobbying hard for Gonzalez to return for an 18th season, thinks Gonzalez’s chances of being back are a lot better than the veteran is letting on.

“Tony has done so much for us on and off the field, and I don’t believe, not stating that he would be lying to anyone, but I don’t believe the 95 percent,” Dimitroff said on “Pro Football Talk” on NBC Sports Network. “I want to believe it’s a lot closer to 50-50, to be honest with you, and we’ve had discussions.

“Obviously (Falcons coach) Mike Smith has had discussions with him. We’re all in a good place. Ultimately it’s up to Tony to decide if he wants to come back and potentially catch 100 balls again. I think it’s one of those situations that Tony was so effective for us down the stretch, and I can’t imagine that his appetite wasn’t sort of whet from his contributions in the playoffs.”

During Super Bowl week in New Orleans, Dimitroff said there was no firm timetable for Gonzalez to make a decision.

“We don’t have a deadline at all,” Dimitroff said. “But let’s face it that it’s important for us to know sooner rather than later because we have to move forward on all our decision-making.”

A 13-time Pro Bowler who will turn 38 years old on Feb. 27, Gonzalez holds NFL records for touchdown receptions (107) and reception yards (14,268) by a tight end. He had 93 catches for 930 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

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It was during the Giants’ 20-17 overtime victory in San Francisco last season that Williams fumbled two punt returns, including one in overtime that led to Lawrence Tynes’ game-winning field goal.

After that game, Jacquian Williams and Devin Thomas both admitted that the special teams were well aware of Williams’ concussion history.

“The thing is, we knew he had four concussions, so that was our biggest thing, to take him out of the game,” Jacquian Williams said after the win.

So after the Saints’ bounty scandal exploded, Kyle Williams figured the Giants might be disciplined as well.

“When the bounty stuff came out and [former Saints defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams had said the same things, basically, they went for his neck with that and they took that to the absolute highest level they could,” Kyle Williams told reporters Wednesday in New Orleans. “But it was almost like when the Giants said it, it was not a big deal.

“That’s the only thing that kind of shocked me. I thought that would have the same reaction because it was the same exact thing.”

The Giants said they never went after Kyle Williams’ head. His first fumble came after a punt bounced off his leg and Thomas recovered. And the second turnover came when Jacquian Williams poked the ball out from the side, leading to another Thomas recovery.

Even though Kyle Williams wasn’t hit in the head on those two fumbles, the 49ers’ punt returner said the Giants did hit him in the head during the game. But he wouldn’t go as far as to say that the Giants were purposely aiming for his head.

“They got me,” Kyle Williams said. “They definitely got me.”

The Niners returner is currently on injured reserve but is with the team at the Super Bowl. He said he is not bitter or upset with the Giants.

“Guys try to put guys out of the game every single game,” he said.

Gregg Williams was heard on an audio tape that was part of the NFL’s investigation into the Saints’ bounty scandal directing his players to target Kyle Williams before a Saints’ game against the Niners.

“We need to find out in the first two series of the game (about) that little wide receiver, No. 10 (Williams), about his concussion,” the former Saints defensive coordinator said on the tape. “We need to f—— put a lick on him right now. He needs to decide. He needs to f—— decide.”

That’s why Kyle Williams thought the Giants might be disciplined after hearing what Jacquian Williams said and how Thomas also said, “He’s had a lot of concussions. We were just like, ‘We’ve got to put a hit on that guy.'”

“The only thing that was crazy to me was that nothing came of it,” the Niners returner said. “That was the only thing. Because I fully expected it to because of what just had happened with the Saints. When that came out I was like, Oh, OK there’ll be the same type of thing.’ But there was nothing.

“I don’t know if that was because (the Giants) won (the Super Bowl), or if it just wasn’t a big deal. But I just thought it would be exactly the same type of thing.”

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“It’s probably the last time I’m going to wear that uniform,” Gonzalez said after the Falcons’ 28-24 loss. “I didn’t want to take it off, to tell you the truth. All good things come to an end, and like I said all season long, this is probably my last one. What an unbelievable ride.”

Gonzalez had eight catches for 72 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. The Falcons didn’t score again.

The 36-year-old tight end was voted to his third straight Pro Bowl in four seasons with the Falcons, but said Sunday he’s unlikely to play in the game. His 2012 selection was the 13th time he’s been voted to the league’s all-star game.

Gonzalez Set TE Standard

Tony Gonzalez has helped set a new standard for tight ends in his 16-year career. He ranks as the best tight end in a number of different statistical categories.

He said he will discuss his plans with his family before making his final decision on retirement.

“I’m not going to cry about it,” Gonzalez said after the conclusion of his 16th season. “I walk away with the satisfaction I left everything, absolutely everything, every time I was on the field.

“I wish it would have culminated with the Super Bowl, but it didn’t.”

Drafted 13th overall by the Chiefs in 1997, Gonzalez is second on the career receptions list with 1,242 and is the most decorated tight end in NFL history, ranking first at the position and sixth overall with 103 touchdown catches. At 14,268 yards, he’s seventh on the career receiving list.

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Idzik, the fourth GM in Woody Johnson’s 13 years as Jets’ owner, inherits a 6-10 team, a possible lame-duck coach, a lean roster with a handful of immovable contracts, and a polarizing quarterback in Tim Tebow.

“I am honored and extremely excited to be joining the New York Jets,” said Idzik, who will be introduced at a news conference Thursday. “I am eager to get started building on the foundation that is already in place.”

The Jets set out to hire a GM with roots in scouting and personnel, but they opted for a longtime executive whose background is salary-cap management and contract negotiations. They surely will be criticized because it’s an extension of the Mike Tannenbaum model, and he was fired at the end of the season.

“After a thorough search in which we met many qualified and outstanding candidates, it was clear to me that John was the right choice,” Johnson said. “During his two decades in the NFL, John helped build a Super Bowl championship team in Tampa Bay, an NFC championship team in Arizona and, most recently, a team in Seattle that narrowly missed reaching the NFC Championship Game.

“John has seen first-hand what’s necessary to construct a winning team and has worked with some of the most innovative and successful coaches in the NFL … John, working with Rex, will get the Jets where all of us want to be.”

Idzik, most recently the Seahawks’ vice president of football administration, was a regular in personnel meetings, but he devoted most of his time to the business side. He has a distant Jets connection; his father, John, was an assistant in the late 1970s under Walt Michaels.

The Jets picked Idzik because they believe he will be a strong leader in all aspects of the organization. The delineation of power will remain the same as it was with Tannenbaum and Ryan, with Idzik having final say on all personnel matters, according to sources.

Idzik, 52, wasn’t among the first group of candidates to interview for the job, but he emerged quickly in the second round, meeting twice with team officials in less than a week. He’s well-regarded in league circles, having worked for three organizations. He was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ front office when they won Super Bowl XXXVII.

Idzik grew up in the game, having played football at Dartmouth and coached briefly as a low-level college assistant. But he gravitated toward contracts and salary caps, pushing in recent years to make the crossover to the football operation.

His arrival likely means big changes to the roster. In Seattle, Idzik was part of an aggressive front office known for trades and spending money.

The Jets interviewed 10 candidates, selecting Idzik after a 19-day search that was coordinated by executive head hunter Jed Hughes of the Korn/Ferry consulting firm. None of the finalists — Idzik, Steelers executive Omar Khan and Jets assistant GM Scott Cohen — interviewed for other GM openings.

They expanded the search after meeting with the four candidates on their “A” list. They targeted former Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Dave Caldwell, whom they reportedly were prepared to offer a $1 million housing allowance, but he spurned the Jets in favor of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Caldwell, Idzik and Khan were the only candidates called back for second interviews, a source said.

Three candidates, reached by ESPNNewYork.com, described their interviews as unusual because no so-called football people were in the room. It was Hughes, Johnson and team president Neil Glat and Johnson’s attorney, Ira Akselrad.

“It was strange, to say the least,” said one candidate, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Let’s just say there wasn’t a lot of X’s and O’s talk.”

The new GM inherits a team on the decline — 14-18 since back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship Game. There will be other challenges.

Idzik doesn’t control the immediate fate of Ryan, who has two years remaining on his contract, and Johnson has said Ryan isn’t going anywhere. It’s not the ideal situation, marrying two football strangers, but Johnson told potential candidates his preference was to keep Ryan for at least a year.

Ryan had a limited role in the process, sources said. He met with Idzik and Khan before a decision was made, sharing football philosophies but not making an evaluation of the candidates.

The most pressing issue is rebuilding the offense, which has new leadership. Tony Sparano was fired after one season, replaced Friday by former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, sources said. The Jets dropped to 30th in total offense.

The Jets may have the most unsettled quarterback situation in the league. Mark Sanchez played poorly and got benched this season, but an $8.25 million guarantee for 2013 will make it difficult to trade or release him. Idzik has to decide whether he can salvage him (his cap charge is $12.8 million) or incur an enormous cap hit by moving him.

There’s also the Tebow question. He was a spectacular non-factor in his first season with the Jets and it’s hard to imagine him keeping the fan-favorite backup.

Idzik will have to navigate a tough cap situation while trying to restock a roster that lacked playmakers and depth. The Jets are reportedly $19.4 million over the cap, with several key players headed to free agency — namely LaRon Landry, Shonn Greene, Dustin Keller, Mike DeVito and Brandon Moore.

They also face a potentially difficult contract negotiation with star cornerback Darrelle Revis, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2014. They can’t use the franchise tag on Revis, per a clause in his contract, creating a sense of urgency. Revis may seek close to $20 million per year, but he’s recovering from major knee surgery — a variable that could complicate negotiations.

The Jets’ GM search was long and seemingly meandering at times, with critics claiming it wasn’t an appealing job because of the cap, the quarterback situation and the 2013 commitment to Ryan.

They aimed high, contacting longtime former GM Bill Polian to gauge his interest. But as one league source said: “He’s a Hall of Fame executive. You don’t want to have this on your résume.”

Polian played a small role in the search, sources said. In addition to offering recommendations, he sat in on a few interviews.

The Jets interviewed front-office executives from at least six teams — Caldwell, Idzik, Khan, Brian Gaine (Miami Dolphins), Tom Gamble (San Francisco 49ers) and Marc Ross (New York Giants). They also met with at least three former GMs: Jerry Angelo, Randy Mueller and Ted Sundquist.

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