NFL History: 25 greatest quarterback-tight end duos of all time

The greatest quarterback-tight end duo in NFL history: Phillip Rivers & Antonio Gates

Phillip Rivers joined Antonio Gates on the San Diego Chargers in 2004, but it wasn’t until 2006 that he became starter. Once Rivers did take over, he and Gates were magical. Playing together as starters for 13 years, Gates went to six Pro bowls while Rivers went to eight.

The one mark on their resume is their team success. During their 13 season run, they made the playoffs six teams and only advanced to the AFC Championship once. Aside from that year, it was one disappointment after another and the missing Super Bowl win is a dark cloud over the Hall of Fame careers of Rivers and Gates.

Their Chargers’ teams didn’t have a fraction of the success that some of the other duos on this list experienced, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t the best duo. It means, they weren’t on the best teams. Surely both Rivers and Gates shoulder some of the responsibility for San Diego’s disappointing finishes, but this list is for the greatest quarterback-tight end duo in NFL history, not the greatest quarterback-tight end duo on the most successful teams in NFL history.

Simply put, no duo compares to the regular season production of Rivers and Gates. In 194 games, they connected 774 times for 9,543 yards and 95 touchdowns. That may eventually be surpassed with Mahomes and Kelce blistering through records or with Brady and Gronkowski remaining elite late into their careers. But for now, Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates are the greatest quarterback-tight end duo in NFL history.