The debate around who the best tight end to ever play the game will forever rage on and there’s almost no universal order. Between Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, it’s hard to envision that there’s one clear-cut answer that stands among the rest. Each player offered their own particular set of skills that made them unique.
In recent years, Gronkowski and Kelce have dominated the conversation. But if you ask Gronkowski, who signed a one-day contract with the New England Patriots to retire with the team this week, it really depends on what flavor you’re looking for.
Rob Gronkowski Addresses All-Time TE Debate
In his appearance on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday, Gronkowski was questioned whether or not he feels that Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, is better than him.
“In many ways, Travis Kelce is better than myself and in many ways, I would say that I’m better than Travis Kelce,” said Gronkowski. “There are so many variables and tangibles that go into it because we’re kind of different players, but we play the same position still.”
Gronkowski referenced a quote from Shannon Sharpe, a Hall of Fame tight end in his own right, that he felt perfectly encapsulated the debate.
.@RobGronkowski on where he ranks all-time among NFL tight ends. pic.twitter.com/8rvEhZVyvh
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) November 14, 2025
“I’m steak and he’s sushi,” Gronkowski recalled. “It’s just what you want that night for dinner. They’re both great, but they’re both totally different and they taste different and they’re different on your palate.”
Gronkowski played 143 games across a 12-year career for both the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning First-team All-Pro honors four times and being selected to the Pro Bowl five times. His 9,286 receiving yards and 92 touchdowns rank sixth and third all-time among tight ends, respectively. When the time comes, he’s almost guaranteed to earn a first-ballot entry into the Hall of Fame.
After two seasons with the Buccaneers, Gronkowski retired after the 2021 campaign at 32 years old. Kelce, meanwhile, just celebrated his 36th birthday last month. He’s still playing, contributing and actively climbing the all-time tight ends list in his 13th season.
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Kelce is third all-time among tight ends in receptions (1,045) and receiving yards (12,691) while his 80 touchdowns rank sixth. Both eras suited each player differently and that’s something that Gronkowski feels must be accounted for when weighing who stands tall in the debate.
“If I’m in a package where it’s an old-school offense, it’s about running the ball, play action, being in the trenches and beating down the other team, I would take myself,” Gronkowski said. “But in this day and era with the offense that Travis Kelce is in, I feel like he fits way better in his offense that he’s in and I don’t think I would be able to contribute the way he does.”