The Facts: It's news when a veteran player misses mandatory mini-camp. After all, it's the only "mandatory" event of the offseason until training camp. However, it's hard to find Gonzalez's absence from next week's practices too noteworthy. Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith announced Friday that the team gave Gonzalez permission to miss the sessions.
Diehards Line:Gonzalez considered retirement this offseason, and his return seemed somewhat contingent on the Falcons allowing him some time away from the team. As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal suggests, that's a fair tradeoff for a 37-year-old star who has proven he takes care of his body as well as any player of his generation. So don't let his absence next week worry you.