Rob Gronkowski: The greatest tight end ever?

This week, ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski called time on his illustrious 11-year NFL career, again.

The legacy that Gronkowski has left behind is one that is unquantifiable by numbers. Of course, looking at the stat sheet still paints him in a favourable light when comparing against legends such as Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates. But put simply, at his peak, Gronk was the ultimate defensive nightmare. And more often than not, unplayable at his position.

A modern day tight end is required to be a pass catcher on par with a wide receiver, coupled with the ability to block like a defensive tackle. Why? Well, the answer is simply Rob Gronkowski. 

The player New England always wanted

Before the man affectionately known as Gronk was drafted by Bill Belichick and the Patriots in 2010, New England had long been in search of a game changing tight end. They had spend first round picks in 2002 and 2004 on Daniel Graham and Benjamin Watson respectively.

But it would be a frustrating eight year wait until the legendary coach would finally find the missing piece that fit so uniquely into his offensive puzzle.

Gronk played the game with the physicality that you would expect from someone whose frame was 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds. That is not what made him unique. In terms of stature and athletic ability he and Tony Gonzalez, who many will argue to be the best to have ever played tight end, measure similarly against one another.

Gonzalez stands just shy of 6-foot-5, weighed 247 pounds out of college and ran a 4.83 second 40-yard dash. Gronk ran slightly faster at 4.68 seconds. The point: Gronk was not one of a kind athletically, a diamond in the rough for sure but what made him so special was his raw power, the quickness of his feet that allowed him to turn on a knife edge and his desire to play on every down.

How Gronk compares against the greats

The hard hitting, impactful style of play that made number 87 so dominant does, unsurprisingly, come at a price. Multiple arm breaks, concussions and a torn ACL meant Gronk missed 29 games over nine years.

Longevity was always likely to become an issue and where Gonzalez was able to play 270 regular season games throughout a 17 year career, Gronk bows out having taken to the field throughout the regular season 142 times. Which is why he will finish nearly 6,000 yards short of Gonzalez’s record setting 15,127 tight end receiving yards.

Accumulating numbers throughout the years is one way to cement a legacy within the NFL. There are certainly noteworthy achievements that Gronk himself has amassed during his time in the league.

More touchdowns (17) in a single season is the most by any tight end. More 100-yard games (32) than any other tight end and his 15 touchdowns in the postseason, leads the position also.

A true legacy however is more than just numbers for comparison. It is the culmination of those statistics. The trophies won and the impression that is left upon future generations who desire to emulate that greatness. These are the things that define a player as a true great.

Gates and Gonzalez would undoubtedly trade in those final few years and the record setting yards and catches for just one Super Bowl ring each. Gronkowski on the other hand has been to the big game six times and has walked away as a champion on four of those occasions.

It’s not even that he has the silverware to back up the argument that he is the greatest tight end of all time. It’s that without him on those Championship winning teams, there is a case to be made that even with Tom Brady under centre, the outcomes of those seasons might have been very different.

A special player and a unique character

Personal preference is the fine line that separates one person’s idea of the best from another, but it is undeniable to everyone that Rob Gronkowski has provided NFL fans worldwide with a unique, must-watch playing style over the years and will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes.

It is difficult to imagine after last season with the Buccaneers, that Gronk no longer has anything left to offer a team even if he is not quite the player that he once was. If Brady calls again in late November, it is not a stretch to envision the pair reuniting for one final run together into the playoffs.

The likes of Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Darren Waller can all attribute the way that their game has evolved back to the way that Gronk did it when he entered the league 12 years ago and many others will look back at his time, musing that he changed the game at the tight end position.

That is how you create a legacy and become considered as an all time great.