Rob Gronkowski Makes Bold Claim About Travis Kelce's Place in Football History

Rob Gronkowski is a four-time Super Bowl champion with a storied history in the game. He's regarded by many to be one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, but the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player thinks the GOAT title belongs to someone else who's currently one of the biggest names in the sport: Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

Gronk discussed Kelce's place among the greatest tight ends in NFL history in a new interview with Complex. When asked about where Kelce ranks, Gronk was frank with his answer.

"I don't think there's an argument that Travis Kelce is the best receiving tight end in the game," he stated plainly. "I would say just overall he has proved it now over the last couple of years and going strong this year as well. I would say he's the best receiving tight end to ever play the game of football. So I definitely got to give him props."

Kelce has been hard at work with the Kansas City Chiefs for over a decade and has gained increased recognition in recent years after winning two Super Bowl rings in 2020 and 2023. In the past year, he's been introduced to even more people as the boyfriend of pop superstar Taylor Swift. Gronk acknowledged that although Kelce's widespread fame is relatively recent, he's seen his dedication firsthand for some time.

"He's proved it on the field over the last seven to eight years, having 1,000-yard seasons, seven in a row and just missed a 1,000-yard season this year by like 20 yards," he pointed out. "And then on top of it he just absolutely dominates in the playoffs. He has 19 career postseason touchdowns, which is an incredible number, about to tie Jerry Rice possibly. Also, he has the most catches in postseason history so you gotta tip your hat off to him."

"He's just proving people wrong week in and week out," he concluded.

The last time Kelce and Gronk met on the field was when the Buccaneers trounced the Chiefs in the Super Bowl back in 2021. Gronk retired from football the following year. Kelce, meanwhile, is counting down to his next big game as the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11.