Easily the best tight end in NFL history, Tony Gonzalez revolutionized the position with his ability to create mismatches in the passing game. He became proof that tight ends could be high-impact weapons as receivers and blockers.
Let’s look at the résumé. Gonzalez finished his career with 14 Pro Bowl nods and 10 All-Pro selections. He was picked for the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, and is currently second in NFL history among all players in receptions. He also owns nearly every single receiving record for tight ends, if that’s any bit surprising.
It was more than just the ridiculous stats that made Gonzalez such a top-tier talent though. Here are a few tidbits for you: throughout his 17-year NFL career, he missed only two games due to injury. During his career, he was also seen as one of the most sure-handed players of all-time, rarely ever dropping passes or fumbling the football.
Gonzalez began a wave of pass-happy tight ends like Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski that turned the NFL on its head. The impact he had on the game and how it changed the way the position was played makes him more than worthy of the No. 37 spot.