The Top 10 Tight Ends in NFL History

Tony Branco

17 Nov 2025 • 8 min read

Rob Gronkowski was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Thursday. It got me thinking about where he ranks all-time in the pantheon of NFL tight ends. I wrote an article ranking my top five New England Patriots tight ends a few days ago. Note I didn't write that I wrote about where Gronk ranks among Patriots' all-time great tight ends. With all due respect to Ben Coates and Russ Francis, it is kind of obvious Gronk is number one.

But is Gronk the greatest of all-time? You'll get some more debate on this topic, although I think you can debate, but the answer will still be the same.

Here is my list of top ten tight ends in NFL history:

#1 – Rob Gronkowski

There is no one on this list who combined blocking, route running, catching, elusiveness, run-after-the-catch ability, toughness, and exuberance like Rob Gronkowski. Add four Super Bowl championships in eleven seasons and there is no one else whose resume is comparable.

Gronk's best season came in 2011 when he had 90 receptions, 1327 yards, and 17 touchdowns. He finished with 621 receptions, 9286 yards, and 92 touchdowns.

His career may have been overshadowed by playing with Tom Brady for the entirety of his career. Some would argue that Gronk may have been a product of Brady. I might argue that Brady's success in the second half of his career may have been a product of Gronkowski.

Career resume

4× Super Bowl champion
5× First-Team All-Pro
621 receptions, 9,286 yards, 92 touchdowns

#2 – Tony Gonzalez

The only person who could be mentioned in the same breath as Gronkowski would be Tony Gonzalez. As a matter of fact, outside of New England, Gonzalez may be considered the best tight end.

Gonzalez's elite level of play over an amazing 17-year career (1997-2013) is the best case for Gonzo. There are several seasons to pick from, but 2004 may have been his best. He led the NFL with 102 receptions, 1258 yards receiving.

In his last season, at age 37, he had 83 receptions, 859 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Even at the end, he showed no signs of slowing down.

He finished his career with 1,325 receptions (the most ever by any TE), 111 touchdowns.

Tony Gonzalez is, undoubtedly, the most athletic tight end that ever played the game. Like several tight ends on this list, Gonzalez was also an outstanding basketball player.

But Gonzalez was never known as a great, or even good, blocker. Sorry, but blocking is an important consideration when evaluating tight ends.

And so is winning championships. And Gonzalez never won one.

Career resume

1,325 receptions (most ever for a TE)
15,127 yards & 111 touchdowns
14-time Pro Bowler
6× First-Team All-Pro

#3 – Travis Kelce

How can you argue with seven consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons? Unlike Gronkowski – who played his entire career with Hall of Famer, Tom Brady – you can't argue, "Well, Kelce played with Mahomes. Mahomes can make anyone look great!"

Kelce played his first four seasons with Alex Smith as his quarterback and had the first two of his 1,000 yard receiving season with Smith.

Similar to Tony Gonzalez, Kelce has shown extraordinary longevity. Kelce is still going strong at the age of 36 and after having played 13 seasons.

Kelce also has the championship pedigree. He has three Super Bowl rings and he has proven he can play on the biggest stage. He holds almost every major postseason record for a tight end.

Career highlights

Postseason records for a tight end: 178 receptions, 20 TDs, 2,078 yards.
3× Super Bowl champion

#4 – Kellen Winslow Sr.

Winslow makes it this high on my list, largely, because of one game. It came in the 1981 AFC Divisional Playoff game again. Winslow's San Diego Chargers defeated the Miami Dolphins, 41-38, in overtime. Winslow had one of the greatest playoff performances ever – 13 receptions, 166 yards, 1 TD. If that weren't enough, he blocked a field goal at the end of regulation to preserve the tie and send the game into overtime.

He did it all while playing in the heat and muggy humidity of Miami. By the end of the game, Winslow was suffering rom dehydration and cramps. The photo of him being helped off the field by two teammates is iconic.

But Winslow was more than just that one game. He revolutionized the position.

It was one of those instances of two forces of nature converging in the right place at the right time to create a perfect storm. Chargers' head coach Don "Air" Coryell pioneered the modern-day NFL vertical passing offense. Prior to Coryell, quarterbacks like Bob Griese or Terry Bradshaw would throw about 20-25 times per game. Coryell was the first to adopt a pass-first offensive philosophy. Winslow was the perfect weapon for Coryell to deploy to actualize his vision.

In 1980, quarterback Dan Fouts averaged almost 40 pass attempts per game.

Winslow, in his second season, had 89 catches for 1290 yards and 9 TDs. He followed that up with 88 catches for 1075 yards and 10 TDs in 1981.

#5 – Antonio Gates

Like Tony Gonzalez, Gates came from a basketball background. Unlike Gonzalez – who was drafted in the first round – Gates wasn't even drafted.

With his basketball-honed athleticism, footwork, and ability to box out defenders, he became an unstoppable force in the red zone, revolutionizing the tight end position. Gates holds the all-time NFL record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end, with 116, and is the Chargers' all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

116 TDs — most ever for a tight end
8× Pro Bowler

#6 – Shannon Sharpe

I will never forgive Sharpe for the "call the National Guard" sideline antics he did in Foxboro at the end of a blowout win against the Patriots in Foxboro. But sometimes the reason you hate someone so much is directly proportional to how much good they are.

Like Gates, Sharpe wasn't as heralded as some of the others on this list coming out of college. Sharpe was drafted in the 7th round out of Savannah State, a Division II school.

He would go on to become the first tight end in NFL history to amass over 10,000 yards receiving. He was on three Super Bowl championship teams, including back-to-back Broncos teams in 1997 and 1998.

#7 – Mike Ditka

My generation knows Mike Ditka as the legendary coach who led the most dominant team of my lifetime – the 1986 Chicago Bears.

But Ditka was a heck of a player, too. If you haven't seen a trend already, a lot of the players on this list have one thing in common – they re-invented, or revolutionized, the tight end position. Ditka was no exception.

Ditka completely changed the tight end position from its traditional blocking role into a potent pass-catching threat.

In his first season, he shocked the league with 56 receptions for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns — unprecedented numbers for a tight end at the time, which earned him NFL Rookie of the Year honors in 1961. His unique blend of bruising toughness and polished receiving skills created constant matchup problems for defenses. By 1964, he set a new single-season reception record for a tight end with 75 catches, a mark that would stand for 16 years. Throughout his playing career with the Bears, Eagles, and Cowboys, he continued to be a versatile weapon, culminating in his selection as the first tight end ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

#8 – John Mackey

John Mackey was Mike Ditka with more athleticism. It depends what style you prefer. Ditka was the fullback-type and Mackey was the feature back-type. If Ditka broke the door open for using tight ends in the passing game, Mackey blew it off its hinges.

Drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1963, John Mackey forever changed the tight end position by combining his elite receiving ability with bruising power. While tight ends, only a couple of years earlier, were seen as a sixth offensive lineman, Mackey shattered that mold.

He was a constant threat on deep passes and had a knack for breaking tackles and turning short gains into long touchdowns. During his career, he earned five Pro Bowl selections, was a three-time first-team All-Pro, and was a member of the Super Bowl V champion, Baltimore Colts.

#9 – Ozzie Newsome

Maybe I am a little more impartial to my generation of great tight ends, but a tight end who was the focal point of an offense wasn't nearly as common back then as it is today.

Ozzie Newsome, a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end for the Cleveland Browns, was a model of consistency and professionalism throughout his 13-season playing career. Drafted in 1978, Newsome immediately proved himself as a premier pass-catcher, a role that was still evolving for tight ends at the time. Known as "The Wizard of Oz," he set Browns franchise records for receptions and receiving yards and retired in 1990 as the NFL's all-time tight end leader in receptions and yards. Newsome was also an "Iron Man," playing in 198 consecutive games and earning three Pro Bowl selections and four second-team All-Pro honors.

#10 – George Kittle

George Kittle is the closest thing to Rob Gronkowski on this list. He combines the same ferocity on run blocks, the ability to leap over defenders to catch passes, the agility to get open and elude tacklers, and the quirky personality. Just not at the same level as Gronk.

Kittle has been a bit, well, brittle in his career – only playing two full seasons during his nine-year career. But when he's been healthy, he has been as productive as any tight end in the NFL not named "Kelce." He has four 1,000-plus receiving yards seasons so far in his career and he doesn't show any signs of slowing down at the age of 32.

Final Thoughts

Some tight ends have been more prolific in volume, and some have lasted longer. Others helped shape the position, and several still have time to climb this list.

But none have ever been as complete, as dominant, or as impactful in the biggest moments as Rob Gronkowski.