Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce? For Patrick Mahomes, the question of the best tight end of all time has already been answered. But what’s the argument for the Kansas City Chiefs’ star tight end?

Munich – For a long time, many fans had only one answer to the question of who the best tight end in NFL history was. It was Rob Gronkowski. But for some time now, the – now retired – “Gronk” has had competition from Kansas. Serious competition, in fact.

So while Gronkowski enjoys his retirement and still holds some NFL records, another is slowly but surely playing his way into his late but already long-lasting prime. Because Travis Kelce delivered once again in the Sunday Night Game – and not for the first time this season.

Mahomes ennobles Kelce – Better than Gronk?

In the 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the tight end once again emerged as the match-winner for the Kansas City Chiefs with three touchdowns. For his quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the debate about the best tight end in history was over after this top performance. “He’s the greatest tight end of all time,” Mahomes adulated Kelce.

But is he really? Has Kelce actually surpassed “Gronk” in the meantime? At least in the current season, the Chiefs star is leading the statistics of NFL tight ends. The most receptions (69), by far the most yards (855) and even the most touchdowns of all NFL players (11) after eleven days of play.

Mahomes: “Always follow instructions, except… “

Kelce is obviously Mahomes’ go-to guy, the top quarterback reiterated after the game against the Chargers. “I always follow the coaches’ instructions, but when Kelce is in man-to-man coverage, I throw him the ball,” Mahomes explained. “I don’t joke around at all. If he’s in one-on-one, I’ll give him the chance. He’s going to win most duels off that.”

It’s a statement that surely Tom Brady could have made about his longtime teammate and Bro Gronkowski. After all, the “GOAT” could always rely on his tight end during his time with both the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady had thrown over 100 touchdown passes (105) to “Gronk” – the second best quarterback-receiver duo in NFL history.

Gronk better at scoring

This is also why Gronkowski has won the Super Bowl a total of four times in his career. After all, the 33-year-old Kelce already has a ring on his finger, too. That another one will be added this season is by no means out of the question, at least given the current form of the Chiefs around Kelce and Mahomes. That he will catch up with Gronkowski in this statistic, however, is more likely.

However, Gronkowski is also way ahead of the Chiefs star in terms of scoring. Although Kelce (151) and “Gronk” (165) have played in a similar number of NFL games, the latter has 108 touchdowns, a whopping 25 more than his supposed successor (83) as the best tight end in history.

In other career stats, however, Kelce again has the edge. In terms of receiving yards and receiving first downs, Kelce has better statistics than Gronkowski despite playing fewer games.

Tight end debate over?

The two have one thing in common in any case. They are – or rather were – driven by a unique winning mentality. “He’s just a competitor,” Mahomes says of his top face-off spot. “I think that’s the best quality Travis has. It’s not the size, the speed or the route running. It’s the fact that he will always fight to the end.”

So who is actually the better of the two is hard to tell. Even a Gronkowski was never the fastest, most mobile or the best at route running. But he was to Brady what Kelce is to Mahomes.

The best tight end ever.