Tony Gonzalez refused to hand GOAT TE status to Rob Gronkowski after 3x Super Bowl champion's retirement
Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski are two names that will first come to mind when the "greatest tight end in NFL history" is mentioned. Both caught plenty of passes, racked up plenty of yards, scored plenty of touchdowns and were multiple-time All-Pros and Pro Bowlers.
For years, debates raged over which of them is superior. But back in 2019, Tony Gonzalez said Rob Gronkowski, who was coming off retiring for the first time (he would return in 2020 to join Tampa Bay), was his equal:
"Hey, we're both great. We're both the G.O.A.T.s!"
Comparing Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski's careers
When one looks at Tony Gonzalez's career numbers, one can easily see why he entered the Hall of Fame as soon as he became eligible. Throughout his career, he was a receiving machine. Beginning with his third season, only once did he not accumulate at least 700 yards and score at least five touchdowns.
He went on to have a very lengthy career, playing 17 seasons. He was a 10-time All-Pro (first-team six times and second-team four times), 14-time Pro Bowler, and one-time receptions leader (one of only a few times a tight end has done so). He was the league's leader in TE receptions (1,325), receiving yards (15,127), and touchdowns (111, eventually surpassed by Antonio Gates) by the time he retired.
Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski's numbers do not compare: just 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 receiving touchdowns in 11 seasons with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (though he was the first at his position to lead the league in receiving touchdowns). He recorded four All-Pro selections (all first-team), five Pro Bowls, and 2014 Comeback Player of the Year.
However, what sets him apart is his playoff success. Gronkowski made the postseason in all his seasons (though he missed two of them) and reached six Super Bowls, winning four of them.
Tony Gonzales, meanwhile, never reached the Super Bowl. In fact, he did not reach a conference title game until 2012 as an Atlanta Falcon. The Kansas City Chiefs, where he initially played, qualified just thrice in his 12 seasons there, even having a five-year drought between his first playoff appearance and his next.