Tony Gonzalez -- Man in the Middle of 'View' Auditions

NFL great Tony Gonzalez is suddenly square in the middle of "The View" audition process because his wife and the mother of his first child are squaring off for a co-hosting gig.

The combatants are the future Hall of Famer's wife, October Gonzalez ... and his ex-gf and baby mama Lauren Sanchez. Sources connected to 'View' producers confirm October taped several test segments in NYC yesterday. We're told Lauren and several other candidates were also there.

We're told October was a late addition to the audition process, while Lauren's been in contention for a while. She co-hosted an episode that aired last week ... and she was a leading candidate for the show back in 2000.

There most likely will NOT be room for both women on the set. We've told you, producers are looking for one Latin and one conservative co-host -- so Lauren and October are both vying for that Latina seat.

One source described October as a "long shot" ... but added she's definitely in the running.

Lucky for Tony he'll have nothing to do with the decision process. But if he did ... he's gotta go with the wife, right? Then again ... Lauren did give birth to his firstborn.