KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Hundreds of people gathered at the Arrowhead Practice Facility to say farewell to Kansas City Chiefs former general manager Carl Peterson.

The well wishers included Chiefs staff members, former players, George Brett and Steve Palermo.

Peterson made his final address during the gathering before heading to a private party with family and friends.

For 20 years, Peterson had a hand in every major decision made in the Chiefs organization, including hiring Marty Schottenheimer, drafting Derrick Thomas and signing future hall of famers Joe Montana and Marcus Allen.

Kansas City faltered the past decade and finished the season 2-14, the team's worst record in history.

One year shy of finishing the final year of his last contract, Peterson and the Chiefs chairman of the board Clark Hunt decided the time was right to make a change.

Rumors during the weekend had Peterson in Miami, possibly entertaining a move to South Florida. In traditional Peterson-speak, he chose not to elaborate on the rumor but did say he was not done with football.

"I think, you know, it's been my life. Maybe I can be a consultant. I don't know what that is, but maybe that's the next venture on the horizon. I'd like to think I have some knowledge and experience that I could share with people, but it's hard to just sever the game completely so that's certainly a possibility," Peterson said.

The top candidate to take over the general manager with the Chiefs is New England's Scott Pioli, who was rumored to have met with Hunt sometime during the past 24 hours.