The retirement of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has sparked some debate regarding the best to ever play the position. Although Gronkowski makes an excellent bid, NFL legend Peyton Manning feels Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez is still in a class of his own.

Both players spent the bulk of their careers going against each other in the AFC.

According to Mike Klis of 9News, Peyton Manning says Gonzalez is the best tight end in NFL history:

“Tony Gonzalez, I used to play in the Pro Bowl with him. Man, I used to always say if you could take one guy back with you who would you take back? I’d take Tony Gonzalez. I think he was the best tight end ever to play.’’

This is certainly some high praise coming from Manning considering he has played with his fair share of talented tight ends. Regardless, it is certainly understandable considering Gonzalez revolutionized not only his position but the way the game is played today.

As a dual-sport athlete in college, he was one of the first pioneers of basketball players that made the seamless transition to the NFL. His rare combination of size and athleticism made him one of the most lethal pass-catchers in league history.

Gonzalez headlined a star-studded Hall of Fame class in 2019 after being selected to 14 Pro Bowls in his 17-year tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. He finished his career second on the all-time reception list behind only Jerry Rice. He also finished sixth in all-time receiving yards and eighth in all-time touchdowns.

While today's NFL employs tight ends with specific skill sets either as a receiver or a blocker, Gonzalez was one of the few that made his bones as both.