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The greatest of all-time is debated in every spot. Is LeBron James or Michael Jordan the best basketball player ever? Is Tom Brady or Joe Montana the best quarterback? Constant arguments are made on both sides of these extremely subjective questions. This week a bomb was dropped on the NFL world, so it is only right to ask, is Rob Gronkowski the best tight end in league history?
Gronkowski decided to call it quits after winning his third Super Bowl with the New England Patriots. He was a second-round pick with the franchise back in 2010 out of Arizona.
In less than a decade in the NFL, Gronkowski left a legacy that will be hard to top. His off the field antics pegged him as the ultimate party animal. Gronkowski sported a goofy, laid back personality that was filled with jokes.
Gronkowski has been seen partying in clubs countless times, chugging drinks from fans, and even participating in the WWE ring at Wrestlemania. The NFL is not only losing one of their all-time great players, but one of its best personalities.
On the field, Gronkowski dominated from the beginning, but he was plagued with injuries that cut his career short. As we look back on the career of Gronkowski, is it fair to put him up there with some of the all-time great tight ends?
Yes, It Is Fair
Gronkowski changed the way that tight end is played. He was a big, fast, and strong player with great hands who Brady relied on for many years. Gronkowski thrived in the fantasy football era by putting up crazy numbers, often picked higher in fantasy drafts than any other tight end.
He paved the way for big, athletic tight ends like Zach Ertz, Travis Kelce, and Jordan Reed. Tight ends are starting to become more like wide receivers. George Kittle, Eric Ebron, and Kyle Rudolph are big-time targets that are important to their teams.
He broke out in his second year in the NFL. In 2011, Gronkowski played in 16 games, catching 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. This was his best year as a pro, but the other years were not too shabby. He eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark four times in his career, and he had over 10 touchdowns five times. He could have been a 1,000 yard player every season if he did not get hurt.
The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Gronkowski played with speed and physicality that did not match his frame. He emerged as one of the top receiving threats in the league and one of the best players during his tenure. Gronkowski averaged a touchdown every 6.6 receptions.
He won three Super Bowl rings, and he had his best game in one of his losses. Gronkowski finished with nine catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the Patriots' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52. He made the game changing play in this past Super Bowl that led to the only touchdown of the game.
Gronkowski has put together a Hall of Fame resume in half the time that it has taken other tight ends. Whether he is the best or not, Gronkowski has completely changed tight ends from here on out in the NFL.
No, It Is Not Fair
Durability has always been Gronkowski's problem. He played 16 games just twice in his career, his rookie and sophomore campaigns.
In his nine seasons with the Patriots, Gronkowski finished with 521 catches, 7,861 yards, and 79 touchdowns in 115 games. These numbers do not match up with some of the all-time greats. This is where you will have to determine what is more important, dominance or longevity.
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No tight end did it better for longer than Tony Gonzalez. He finished with 15,127 receiving yards in his career, which is fifth on the all-time list alongside some of the best wide receivers the game has ever seen. His 111 touchdowns is second to only Antonio Gates at the position.
Gates is one of four tight ends to eclipse 10,000 yards, along with Gonzalez, Jason Witten and Shannon Sharpe. Gonzalez played 17 seasons, Witten has played 15 and is returning for season 16 in 2019, and Gates is entering year 17 while Sharpe completed 14 years as a pro.
These players were true iron men. Gonzalez missed just two games in his career. Witten bested him with just one game missed. Gates has never played less than 10 games in a season.
Gronkowski's injury history is a mile long. At 29, he has suffered two arm fractures, a vertebral disc hernia in his back, a vertebral fracture in his back, a grade three torn ACL and MCL, and many concussions. These are injuries that make it hard to continue a career in the NFL. It is uncertain whether or not this will hurt Gronkowski's legacy, but it will certainly be brought up in conversation.
Overall Decision
In this particular case, dominance prevails. Gronkowski should be looked at as the second best tight end to ever play football behind Tony Gonzalez.
Gronkowski finished his career with more touchdowns than Witten and Sharpe in almost half the amount of seasons played. He had the same amount of 1,000 yard seasons as Witten and Gonzalez, and more than Sharpe and Gates. Durability and longevity are an important part of the game, but so is dominance. Gronkowski will go down as the most dominant pass catcher of his era, rivaled only by Calvin Johnson.
It is hard to put Gronkowski above Gonzalez. Gonzalez put the position of tight end on the map. He is fifth all-time in receiving yards overall, not just at tight end. He is eighth in touchdown receptions with 111, dominating for 17 seasons in the NFL for two different teams. He played 270 career games while missing only two. This is the work of a true legend.
Gonzalez will hold on to the top spot on this list for a long time. There may never be a tight end like Gonzalez, but the same could be said for Gronkowski. The NFL may never see another player who dominated the game like number 87 for the New England Patriots.
Gronkowski has captured the second spot on the list of greatest tight ends, and it is somewhere he will comfortably stay for the foreseeable future.
