Rob Gronkowski has once again retired from pro football but this time it could be for good. Is he the greatest tight end to ever play the game?
For the second and maybe (or maybe not) last time, free agent tight end Rob Gronkowski has decided to retire from professional football.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star first broke the news to Jordan Schultz before posting a farewell on Twitter himself.
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) June 21, 2022
Rob Gronkowski retires (again) and is arguably the greatest tight end ever
Whether or not this is actually the end for Gronkowski remains to be seen, but his retirement right now gives us an opportunity to once again look at his career in retrospect and bring up the question — is he the best tight end the NFL has ever seen?
Chiefs fans will swear it’s Tony Gonzalez, and for good reason. Or maybe they’ll say Travis Kelce, who could be well on his way to that particular distinction.
Chargers fans will chime in and throw Antonio Gates and his incredible run of dominance as a receiver in the mix.
Broncos fans will argue for Shannon Sharpe.
Cowboys fans will say Jason Witten.
I think when you consider all that Gronkowski did on the field as both a receiver and blocker, you can’t really argue that he’s the best we’ve ever seen.
Nobody has been more consistently dominant at the position for such a long stretch of time.
Here’s a look at where Gronkowski currently ranks all-time among tight ends in receiving categories.
- 9,286 receiving yards (5th)
- 64.9 yards per game (2nd)
- 92 touchdowns (3rd)
Gronkowski’s 92 touchdowns in 143 career games is easily the best of all the top tight ends in history at over 64.3 percent. That percentage climbs when you add in the fact that Gronk scored another 15 touchdowns in 22 career postseason games.
He has three rings, four All-Pro recognitions, five Pro Bowl selections, and he was the 2014 AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Rob Gronkowski is the best tight end to ever do it. Certainly the most dominant.
Even though he is built like a defensive lineman, Gronkowski often served as the New England Patriots’ WR1 for a lot of his career.
He was such a weapon in the passing game but a true extension of the offensive line in the running game as well.
There’s no doubt that Gronkowski will be a Hall of Famer someday. The question is, will it truly be five years from now, or will he make another cameo this season or in 2023?
Even with all of his massive achievements considered, Gronk is just 33 years old. We haven’t likely seen the last of him.