Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement Sunday, ending — or so we think — a Hall-of-Fame career with the New England Patriots.
But while there’s little doubt Gronkowski will wind up in Canton, perhaps in his first year of eligibility, there’s a bigger question to ponder: Is Gronk the greatest tight end of all-time?
It’s a common sentiment expressed in the wake of Gronkowski’s announcement, but Stephen A. Smith isn’t entirely on board with it despite considering the four-time First-Team All-Pro the “most talented” tight end in NFL history.
Why? Well, for Smith, it boils down to longevity and cumulative statistics. As dominant as Gronkowski was throughout his nine-year career, the Patriots superstar battled an abundance of injuries, leading to an early retirement at age 29 and overall receiving numbers that pale in comparison to those posted by fellow tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Gronkowski totaled 521 receptions, 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 career regular-season games. He added 81 catches, 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 playoff games.
When you look at Gronkowski’s stats on a per-game basis and take into account his powerful blocking, it’s hard to argue he wasn’t the most complete tight end the league has ever seen. Still, that isn’t enough for Smith to drop the “GOAT” label on him, especially since Gronkowski had the benefit of catching passes from Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
