By: Jake Rajala

The mythical football player Robert Gronkowski announced his retirement (for the second time) last Tuesday. Gronk is known for having high-end success with the Patriots, winning many Super Bowl rings with Tom Brady, and having an outlandish personality.

There’s a pivotal, fascinating question that should revolve around Gronk after he’s decided to hang up his cleats: Is Gronk simply the best TE of all time? Well, I’m going to outline the success that Gronk has left on the field while comparing his legacy to fellow legendary tight ends.

Gronk entered the league as a second-round draft pick with the New England Patriots in 2010. He really showed his energy on stage- as he celebrated with his family and put on his helmet. Gronk’s draft-day energy was a sign of things to come. Jimmy Graham was also a 2010 draftee, as the Saints picked him in the third round. Similar to many other gifted tight ends, he didn’t have an overly impressive rookie season (excluding TD receptions): 46 receptions, 546 yds, and 10 TDs. Nonetheless, he really blossomed in his second season.

In 2011, Gronk hauled in career-high numbers in many categories: touchdowns (17), receiving yards (1,327), and receptions (90). His efforts in his sophomore season resulted in his getting first-team All-Pro honors and his first trip to Hawaii.

Gronk’s 2012 season was also impressive — as he recorded 11 touchdowns and 790 yards in 11 games. His second-best NFL season appeared in 2014: 82 receptions, 1,124 yds, and 12 touchdowns. In 2015, he recorded 72 receptions, 1,176 yds, and 11 TDs. His last All-Pro season came in 2017 (69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and 8 TDs). Gronk’s last season in New England was 2018 and then he briefly retired in 2019.

Brady returned to play the drums for Gronk, so his long-time pal at TE would return to help him rule the galaxy. The former Pats TE that held a Hall of Fame resume prior to joining Tampa helped the Brady bunch win the Lombardi trophy in the 2020-2021 season — as he notably had two touchdowns in playoffs. Gronk had his last hoorah and won his fourth SB ring alongside Brady in a Buccaneers uniform.

Gronk’s Super Bowl count is very impressive amid the group of tight ends that are in Canton (or on the path to Canton). Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jason Witten combine for zero Super Bowl rings. Gronk even has more SB trophies than Sharpe, who even has an unearthly SB ring count (3).

He may stand on top of the cliff in the SB ring department, but he doesn’t have the most career receiving yards. He ranks fifth (after Gonzalez, Witten, Gates, and Sharpe) in career receiving yards (9,286 yds).

Gronk ousted 92 career receiving touchdowns, which is nicely the third-most receiving touchdowns ever by a TE. Antonio Gates (116 receiving TDs) and Tony Gonzalez (111 receiving TDs) only have more career receiving touchdowns, but they have also been in a significantly more amount of games than Gronk. Gates has played 236 games, Gonzalez has laced up his cleats for 270 games (yes, you read that correctly), and Gronk has only played 143 games.

I believe that Gonzalez and Gates should be proudly recognized for their success over a long period of time. Although, the resume of a player certainly can’t rely on the number of seasons played — especially if a player isn’t overly productive in the back-end of their career. For example, RB Frank Gore might have attempted to pace with Tom Brady for a very long career, but he also didn’t make a Pro Bowl in his last several seasons. Gates made eight Pro Bowls in his first nine seasons, but he didn’t make a Pro Bowl over his last several seasons. Furthermore, Gonzalez made four All-Pro teams in his first several seasons, but he garnered one All-Pro honor over his last five seasons. In legendary TE fashion – Sharpe also didn’t make a Pro Bowl over his five last seasons in the league.

With that enunciated, I’m going to simply untwine how Gronk’s 11-season career stacks up to the first 11 seasons of the career of Gates, Gonzalez, and Sharpe.

Gronk’s career resume (11 seasons)

• 9,286 yards
• 92 touchdowns
• Four All-Pro selections
• Four SB rings
• Five Pro Bowl selections

Gates’s first 11 seasons

• 9,193 yards
• 87 touchdowns
• Three All-Pro selections
• Eight Pro Bowl selections
• Zero SB rings

Gonzalez’s first 11 seasons

• 9,882 yards
• 66 touchdowns
• Nine Pro Bowl selections
• Four All-Pro selections
• Zero SB rings

Sharpes’s first 11 seasons

• 7,793 yards
• 49 touchdowns
• Seven Pro Bowl selections
• Four All-Pro selections
• Three SB rings

I would say that Gronk should feel quite confident about how productive he was in his career span in comparison to the same number of seasons as fellow cream-of-the-crop TEs. Gronk was flat out a red-zone machine, but he also was utterly successful: a whopping four SB rings.

Gonzalez matches the same All-Pro count as Gronk, but he didn’t find gold/a Super Bowl ring in his entire career. He was even able to garner an All-Pro season in the back-end of his career, but he still couldn’t win a SB ring with a loaded team. Sharpe (who did play in a different era) has a very similar resume as Gronk, but I believe Gronk’s magic in and out of Tampa is slightly more attractive than Sharpe’s output in and out of Denver.

All in all, I honestly believe that Gronk should be seen as the best TE of all time. His resume clearly expresses that he is a stat machine, consistent, and undoubtedly a champion. I believe that Sharpe is the second-best TE while Gonzalez is the third-greatest TE to lace up his cleats. Perhaps Travis Kelce (or George Kittle) will break the barrier established by Gronk in the future.

Let’s not forget that there is always a chance that the 33-year-old TE unretires for the second time in his career.

The post Is Gronkowski the best tight end of all time? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, and they witnessed a resurrection from Tom Brady. After the NFL draft has eclipsed, it seems that the Bucs will remain aggressive in the potential last ride of Tom Brady’s career. There are a familiar few faces that Tampa could ink at this point in this point time. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine if the Buccaneers should reunite with a few 2021 Buccaneers players.

Ndamukong Suh

It doesn’t look like Ndamukong Suh will return to the Buccaneers. According to numerous sources (the Athletic, Spun), Suh is unlikely to return to the Buccaneers. Suh was still a lethal player in 2021 (6 sacks in 2021), but the Bucs still have Vita Vea and William Gholston in the middle of their defensive line. Unfortunately, the return of Todd Bowles and TB12 doesn’t seem like enough firepower to retain Suh.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Jason Pierre-Paul was a big help in many moments of their recent Super Bowl-winning season, but I don’t expect TB to have a sense of urgency to bring back JPP (2.5 sacks in 12 games last season). The rise of the 2021 first-round draft pick Joe Tryon and Shaq Barrett’s presence should eliminate any bark about a dire need to re-sign JPP. The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to the former NFC East pass rusher.

Robert Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski, also known as Brady’s best friend, is still unsure about his future in the NFL. I really don’t forsee Gronk returning for another season. Gronk might be a football god, but it may be hard for him to return if his heart is not fixed on playing football in May. Although, if he does not hit the ground running this summer, he could return to the Bucs roster in a potential/likely playoff appearance next season. Marshawn Lynch returned to the familiar Seahawks in their playoff trip during the 2019-2020 season.

The post Which free agents should the Buccaneers bring back? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has many tight end records, impressive individual game performances, and he’s already won a Super Bowl. Kelce, who has a brother named Jason, is already recognized as a Top 10 TE in NFL history. The question is: if he retired today, would he be cast into Canton as a first-ballot of Hall of Famer?

Let’s take a sharp look into the career of Kelce and see if he has done enough to be a future Hall of Famer already. Here is an overview of Kelce’s magical football journey:

• 57 career receving touchdowns
• 9,006 career receving yards
• 704 career receptions
• Seven time Pro Bowl selection
• Three time All-Pro selection
• Super Bowl LVI champion
• Three missed games in the past eight seasons

Kelce has the record for the most 1,000 yard seasons by a TE and it’s clear he’s an elite TE with not only Patrick Mahomes but QBs like Alex Smith, too. The Chiefs TE is as much of a product of Pat Mahomes, as he is of Andy Reid. It’s fair to say that Kelce is more efficient and dominant with Mahomes, nonetheless. Kelce has been even led the team in yards in two of the past three seasons with Mahomes at QB.

So, it’s clear that Kelce is a gifted player and athlete. Well, here’s a look at how he compares to a few of the tight ends from the 2000s that have made the Hall of Fame or will most likely make the Hall of Fame.

Shannon Sharpe

• 10,060 career receiving yards
• 62 career receving touchdowns
• four time All-Pro
• Three time Super Bowl champion
• Inducted in 2011

Tony Gonzalez

• 15,127 career receving yards
• 111 career receving touchdowns
• six time All Pro
• Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019

Jason Witten

• 13,046 career receving yards
• 74 career receving touchdowns
• two time All Pro selection

Robert Gronkowski

• 9,286 career receving yards
• 92 career recevieing touchdowns
• Four time All-Pro selection
• Four Super Bowl rings

It’s well known that it’s not easy for a tight end to make it into the Hall of Fame. Although, TEs were not generally thought of as dominant slot catching machines until the 2000s. I believe if Kelce retired today or played a modest season in 2022 and unexpectedly decided to retire after next season, he would have a similar career resume as Witten. The Cowboys special TE isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer like Gonzalez, but he will surely get into Canton.

If Kelce wins another Super Bowl (at least) and makes another All-Pro team, I expect him to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He wouldn’t match the Super Bowl count of Sharpe or production of the legendary TE Gonzalez, but he would have a really impressive combination of regular-season success and Super Bowl victories.

I foresee Kelce making a few more Pro Bowls, obtaining at least one more All-Pro honor, and I believe that Mahomes, Hill, and Kelce will win one more Super Bowl together. If Kelce wins two Super Bowls and fails to make another All-Pro team, he deserves to still be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Furthermore, if he earns two All-Pro honors and somehow can’t reel in another Super Bowl ring, I expect that path to help him get into Canton with his first open door. He still has a bit of work to do in order to be a “first-ballot Hall of Famer”, but I expect him to follow Gonzalez as a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he hangs up his cleats.

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By: Jake Rajala

The four-time Super Bowl champion Robert Gronkowski is set to become a free agent in 2022. Gronkowski, who is also referred to as “Gronk”, is coming off a season where he recorded 802 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It doesn’t appear that Gronk will be favored to return to Tampa Bay, as his long-time quarterback and friend Tom Brady recently retired.

Gronk will surely have plenty of teams interest in his services, as he’s one of the most decorated tight ends in NFL history. Here is a closer look at how much the former Pats and Bucs TE has accomplished:

• 9,286 career receiving yards
• 92 career receving touchdowns
• Four time All Pro selection
• Five time Pro Bowl selection
• Five time Super Bowl champion

The popular TE that’s featured on the USAA commercial is a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer. Yet, Gronk enjoys the game of football and he clearly wants to aim to be the greatest tight end of all time. He seems that Gronk won’t follow his best friend in retirement, but rather continue playing the game of football. Matter of fact, the Bucs TE has stated that he would love to play with the AFC champion Joe Burrow. So, it seems that the Bengals are a strong possibility to land Gronkowski. So, should the Bengals be expected to ink the TE? Well, here are all of the teams that would make a ton of sense to land Gronk.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals arguably carry the NFL’s most talented offensive trio with Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and Ja’Marr Chase. Gronk has gotten what he wants and he wants to play with Joe “Cool” Burrow. The current starting TE C.J. Uzomah ousted only 493 yards in the 2021 season. The Bengals could see a major dividend with a stud TE. The Bengals will clearly need to address the OL, but they do have the resources to ink Gronk, as well. Per “Over The Cap“, the Bengals are third in the NFL in cap space with roughly $57 million. Gronk is chasing championships and swag at this point in his career. He isn’t overly concerned about the money. He seems most intrigued by those qualities in Burrow and the Bengals right now.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers is coming off two straight MVP seasons and he even hasn’t had a major weapon outside of Davante Adams. Gronk could ideally be the TE that the Packers expected Jimmy Graham to be when they brought him over. Robert Tonyan took a major step back in 2021, as he only registered 204 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. Tonyan is also a free agent and it wouldn’t make sense that he returns after his 2021 performance.

Gronk could play with the only QB that was better than Tom Brady over the past two seasons with A-Rod in Green Bay. Tae and Gronk would be a nightmare in the less competitive NFC North. The Packers need to get over the hump in the playoffs and finally win a Super Bowl before Rodgers hangs up the cleats. Gronk can certainly be one of the options for LaFleur to ponder. The Packers are 31st in cap space, but they could get creative a few big contracts to get Gronk for the 2022 season.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders need another offensive weapon not named Desean Jackson to join Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs, and Hunter Renfrow. Jackson is also 35 years and coming off a season of a mere 221 yards. It would make plenty of sense for Raiders new head coach Josh McDaniels to target his former TE in New England Robert Gronkowski.

It’s fun to imagine Davante Adams reuniting with Carr, but they will most likely need to target good “value” weapons to add to their offense. The Raiders may need to get creative and overpay for Gronk, too. They may strike out on one of the top WRs in free agency, so it could be wise to target Gronk heavily on a short-term deal. They can’t afford to rely on free agent WRs late in the process to save them. Carr also needs a red-zone threat in his arsenal. Carr had only 23 passing touchdowns in 2021, which was good for 13th in the NFL.

Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay has pressed the pedal to the metal over the previous few years and continued to aim to win a Super Bowl. Stafford matched his career high in passing touchdowns with 41. If he had Gronk added to the equation, he could contend for the passing TD record.

The Rams young head coach has brought over Sony Michel, Odell Beckham Jr, and Von Miller in the past year. It wouldn’t be a surprise if OBJ leaves the Rams this offseason, so McVay could look for more juice to fill in the shoes he leaves behind. Gronk could be entertained by the thought of joining the 2021 Offensive Player of The Year Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford if the Rams beat his crush in the Bengals on Super Bowl LVI. Tyler Higbee was the Rams go to TE in 2021, but he isn’t a star TE. He ousted 560 yards and five touchdowns – which aren’t unheard of stats.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys suffered another early playoff exit and Prescott has to be fuming. To make matters worse, they could likely lose Michael Gallup via free agency and Amari Cooper via a trade this offseason. Jerry Jones will want to have his QB retaining madden-like numbers, so he should look to add a talented, cheaper player on a short-term deal. Prescott was a passing touchdown machine with 37 passing touchdowns in 2021. It will be vital that he retains that passing TD mark, especially if he loses one or two stud wideouts. Gronk is also a menace in the run game, which could help Zeke (1,002 rushing yards in 2021) return to stardom. The Boys are looking for more gold to climb in the NFC and not flame out early in the postseason. Gronk would be a big aid to the Cowboys effort of finally winning another Super Bowl.

Honorable mentions:

Seattle Seahawks

The idea of Gronk joining DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett would bring nightmares to defensive coordinator in the NFC West. Pete Carroll could please Wilson by finding him more help and Gronk could be licking his chops about the idea of playing with the Hawks elite QB. Wilson also only threw 25 passing touchdowns in 2021, which was 11th in the league. Gerald Everett has not been the spark that they’ve needed from the TE spot, as he had 478 yards and four touchdowns in 2021. The Hawks are also eighth in cap space in the league. They need to prioritize more explosion around Dangeruss and the TE is a position of need. The 49ers have George Kittle and the Cardinals have Zach Ertz. Gronk would be a fun addition to the NFC West.

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson needs to return to MVP form and the addition of Gronk would be a massive step in that direction. Jackson threw a horrific low passing touchdown count with just 16. Their best weapon is essentially TE Mark Andrews, but that doesn’t mean they can’t add a TE2 that can dominate from the slot. It’s obvious that the Sammy Watkins experiment failed big time and Rashod Bateman from the 2021 draft can’t be the only help Jackson receives.

Tom Brady also passed down the torch to LJ via Instagram, so it would only be fitting if they received Gronk. The Ravens were 24th in passing touchdowns and 13th in passing YPG last season. The Ravens were last in the AFC North a season ago. They need to climb their way back and a champion like Gronk would add a lot of fuel to the engine.

New Orleans Saints

Gronk could be fascinated by staying in the division and playing with Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and potentially Jameis Winston. It’s been reported by Ian Rappaport that Thomas will not be traded by the Saints this offseason, as well. The Saints were ranked 32nd in passing offense a year ago and they honestly need a major upgrade from Adam Trautman at the TE position. Trautman was a record-setting TE at Dayton, but he has been a shell of free agent bust Coby Fleener in two seasons with the Saints. Trautman has 434 yards and three touchdowns over the past two seasons.

The Saints are also pushing for a Lombardi trophy, while they have had many elite aging profiles, so they could look for one golden addition (despite the cap issues). Dennis Allen, who is the new Saints head coach, is all too familiar with the magic of Gronk in the NFC South. He should borrow Gronk from TB and then they could chase a Super Bowl ring together for a couple of seasons.

The post Robert Gronkowski free agent landing spots in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

Santa’s sleigh and Week 14 of the NFL are just around the corner. It may be more hazardous with the weather, but the NFL playoff picture is becoming more clear as the month of December rolls on. 

The AFC and NFC conferences truly have their contenders revealed and it’s obvious which squads hold the key for bye weeks in the postseason. The notorious Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots carry a 9-4 record and they are coming off a seven-game winning streak. In the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals have a 10-2 record, a healthy MVP talent in Kyler Murray, and they can already clinch a playoff berth with a victory against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night (won the first time). 

Outside of the top dogs in each conference, it’s abundantly clear which ball clubs will capture a playoff spot. Teams like the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens will very surely sneak into the highly coveted dance. 

With this all being stated, it’s more of a question mark which teams will snag a sixth and seventh seed in the playoff gauntlet. There is hope and uncertainty revolving around the brinks of playoff destiny in the AFC and NFC. Personally, I find it more fascinating how the NFC wildcard spots will fall at the end of the day. Furthermore, it’s intriguing to take a closer look at one particular division that holds four potential playoff squads and dissect how these teams could finish in this frisky 2020 season. So, let’s go under the microscope and see what the NFC South holds. 

NFC South rankings

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It’s undoubtedly clear that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will finish as the first seed in the NFC South and that they will win the division. Even if the Saints beat the Bucs for the fourth time in a row in the regular season, the aching Saints have too many obstacles to crawl back for division prominence. Tom Brady, who might just win the MVP at age 44, and Robert Gronkowski, who is looking to break Tony Gonzalez’s 100 yard record, have routinely shown the world that they can win their second straight Super Bowl trophy. 

Schedule predictor: 

vs Bills: win 

vs Saints: loss 

at Panthers: win 

at Jets: win 

vs Panthers: win 

Record: 13-4 

Now, let’s get to the juicy part”¦ 

2. New Orleans Saints: The Carolina Panthers have just fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady, while the New Orleans Saints have gotten Alvin Kamara back healthy. The Saints have so many injuries that they should make the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Chargers feel embarrassed. Nonetheless, the Saints have a significant upgrade in their QB-RB tandem than the majority of their QB-RB tandem through their five game losing streak. A half healthy Taysom Hill had the Saints competing with the talented Dallas Cowboys throughout most of their last matchup. Not only will Taysom Hill be a trustworthy upgrade over the Peyton Manning look alike in Trevor Siemian, but they will have AK back in action. Kamara (and Demario Davis) arguably edged out the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. I really like the Saints to upset the Buccaneers. It’s easy to automatically dismiss the notion of the Saints winning because of the comparison between the two records. Yet, the Saints stack up against the Buccaneers incredibly well (think Lattimore vs Evans), the Saints will be a bit more healthy, and they simply will play the matchup as if it’s their Super Bowl. 

Schedule predictor: 

at Jets: win 

at Buccaneers: win 

vs Dolphins: loss 

vs Panthers: win 

at Falcons: win 

Record: 9-8 

3. Carolina Panthers: The Carolina Panthers may have Superman back in action, but they face an uphill battle after their two game losing streak against the Washington Football team and Miami Dolphins. The Panthers still can hang their hat on their number two ranked defense. Not to mention that they face off against the Atlanta Falcons next week – a team they’ve knocked off once this year. All in all, I foresee their defense giving them a fighting chance this holiday season. I love the Panthers to upset the Bills in Week 15, as well. We’ve already seen the Pats defense give Josh Allen fits. I expect CAR to be harassing Allen all night and Matt Rhule to have a few tricks under his sleeve in a “win or go home” type of game. On the horizon, Matt Rhule’s squad should feel a heap of confidence knowing they’ve competed well without QB talent up to this point. They showcase a very young, ascending defense, with lots of room to improve at QB in a division where Tampa Bay has a short Super Bowl window.

Schedule predictor: 

vs Falcons: W 

at Bills: W (upset) 

vs Buccaneers: L 

at Saints: L 

at Buccaneers: L 

Record: 7-10 

4. Atlanta Falcons: The Atlanta Falcons may have the more talented signal-caller between New Orleans, Carolina, and themselves. Yet, the Calvin Ridley less Falcon squad has an aching roster coupled with a brutal upcoming schedule. I don’t believe they have any bright spots that can pull themselves into the wildcard spaces. I like Washington to hold onto the sixth seed, but I don’t like ATL to join the mix of SF, MIN, NO, PHI, and CAR as potential seventh seeds.

Schedule predictor: 

at Panthers: L 

at 49ers: L

vs Lions: W 

at Bills: L 

vs Saints: L 

The post NFC South outlook: what is the hierarchy after Tampa Bay? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

When Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 offseason, he made sure to bring an old friend with him on a “damned fool idealistic crusade”. The ageless Brady brought along his former stud tight end Rob Gronkowski — also known as Gronk. The new Buccaneers TE was on a mission to not only shake off the rust from missing a year (retired), but he was out to prove he could accomplish more great feats in his career. 

The old Pats TE that routinely torched opposing defenses with Brady by his side strolled onto the field in 2020 with hopes of reclaiming the same domination he captured with Brady. In 2020, Gronk recorded a modest 623-yard tally but stood out with an impressive seven touchdown receptions. The Bucs TE didn’t only have a stellar regular season in his first season as a Buccaneer, but he also reeled in another Super Bowl victory. 

After Gronk, Brady, and company squashed the Chiefs, celebrated on boats with champagne, the legendary TE geared up for a strong 2021 season. In Week 1 of the 2021 season, Gronk showed he was still very talented and ready to prove he was just getting in sync with “his second season in the system”. Gronk had a pair of touchdowns in Week 1 in a huge victory over the Dallas Cowboys! He then proceeded to record a couple of touchdowns in Week 2. 

It’s evident that Gronk is still capable of playing at a high level and it’s safe to say we should expect an elite TE performance out of the Bucs TE1 this season. Furthermore, we should expect his 44-year-old QB to continue to have full capacity to utilize his skillset against opposing defenses. 

We know Gronk has a very imposing resume and it appears his outlook is still shiny. With that being said, a couple of intriguing question lies: how much more production can Gronk stack on his resume and can the very elite TE hit the ceiling of being the best tight end to ever step on the field?

I firmly believe Gronk can be an efficient player right up until he stops playing. Well, when will Gronk call it quits (for the second time)? It appears clear that he will retire when his future Hall of Fame QB retires. Realistically, it seems that Brady will most likely just this season and at most one more season after this year. So, I believe that Gronk will play this season and at most the 2022-2023 season. 

It would make sense if Gronk records around 600-800 yards this season, 8-12 touchdowns, and I would expect a 1200-1600 yard, 16-24 touchdown total, over the next two seasons. If Gronk calls it a career after this season, he would keep his third spot in career receiving touchdowns. And if the Bucs TE plays next season, he would likely stay in the same spot, or have a chance to break Gonzalez’s touchdown record by a hair. Gronk currently has 90 receiving touchdowns, while Tony Gonzalez has 111 touchdowns, and Antonio Gates has 116 touchdowns. 

Gronk is currently sixth all-time in receiving yards at the TE position. I wouldn’t expect him to crack the Top 3, even with his best possible outcome. The third-place TE in the yards category is Antonio Gates with 11,841 yards. If Gronk plays next season, he does have a real chance of cracking fourth place by a slim margin, which is held by Shannon Sharpe with 9,961 yards. 

All in all, Gronk will most likely not go down as Top 3 TE in career receiving TDs or receiving yards. However, Gronk will be able to make up for it with his single-season domination and closet of Super Bowl trophies. I believe that Gronk should be seen as a Top 3 TE of all time right now, despite the fact that he isn’t quite an iron man of old age at the position. Gronk still has the record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season by a TE (17) he’s been All-Pro four times in his 11-year career. To top it off, Gronk has a whopping four Super Bowl rings.

I believe that Tony Gonzalez’s production and consistency help him deserve the top spot, while Gronk and Gates are nearly interchangeable at 2 and 3 — especially if Gronk has a slightly above productive season in 2021. Although, if Gronk notches another Super Bowl ring, I believe his efficiency and talent overweigh that of the electric Gonzalez and should help him deserve a consensus number one TE ranking of all-time.

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