Gronk Hangs Up Pads

Players come and players go in the game of football. If you're lucky enough to make it to the National Football League it means you are one of the best players in the game. Over the last nine seasons, beginning with the 2010 season, there has been nobody better at the position of tight end than Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. Gronk was known for his unique blend of sublime receiving skills and talented blocking ability. After those nine seasons, Gronk has hung up his pads and called it a career via an Instagram post on Sunday.

During his nine year run in the league, Gronkowski won three super bowls, was a five time pro bowler, and a four time first team all pro. He lead the NFL in Touchdowns in 2011 when he had seventeen. Gronk's best year was in 2011 when he not only lead the league in TD receptions, he also had 90 catches for 1,327 yards. He went over the 1,000 receiving yards mark four times and finished with double digits in touchdowns four times. In total, Gronk played in 115 games, finishing with 521 catches, good for 7,860 yards and 79 touchdowns. By the time Gronkowski had hung the pads up, he had set quite a few NFL records, which include the following:

Most receptions by a tight end in Super Bowl history with 23. Most receiving yards by a tight end in Super Bowl history with 297. He is the only tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (2011), and the only tight end with 1,000+ career postseason receiving yards. Gronk has the most career postseason receiving yards by a tight end at 1,163 and the most touchdowns by a tight end, season: 18 (2011) Gronk is the only tight end to have 3 seasons with 10+ touchdowns and 1,000+ receiving yards (2011, 2014–15) and has the most seasons of 1,000+ yards receiving by a tight end: 4 (tied with Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten). That's just a few of the long list of career marks that Gronk set.

Gronk could do it all, he could catch passes like a wide out and block like a an offensive lineman. Many experts called him the most complete tight end in the NFL, and there would be few if anybody who would disagree with that assessment. Now for the million dollar question. Where does Gronkowski rank among the greatest tight ends to ever play the game?

In this generation there's a few names that jump out right away at the top of the tight ends list along with Gronk. There's Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jason Witten sure. You can even put Shannon Sharpe up in that discussion. For the point of this argument., the only guy I'd even really put at or even above Gronk's level when it came to catching passes was Gonzalez, who will go down as the best ofa ll time in that department. But Gronk as one advantage over all the rest in my mind. That was his blocking ability. I've never seen a tight end block as well as Gronkowski. He's going down in my book as the greatest all around tight end to ever play football.

He drove me crazy as a Jets fan for what he did against my team, but you gotta tip you're cap when its due to great players. And Gronk will go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game.