The best tight ends of all time have undergone more shifts than any other position in the history of the NFL. Tight ends have evolved into a crucial position in the offense, rising from their previous status as the sixth attacking leader and occasionally collecting the pass.
There are certain NFL tight ends that are absolutely necessary for the passing game of an existing NFL squad. They offer complete packages that are tailored to an individual’s unique skill set.
The focus that is placed on location in modern times has fostered a hunger for knowledge on the best tight ends throughout history. The manners, in which they perform, as well as their accomplishments, are both fascinating pieces of knowledge.
Who is the best tight end of all time? Keeping this in mind, let’s take a look at some Impressive NFL tight end records ever seen.
Top 10 Of The Best Tight Ends Of All Time
After the quarterback, the tight end is thought to be the position with the most offensive options. The player who can both pass and run the block from the three-point line is considered the best tight end of all time. They are required to run routes beginning in the lining position, and they may be divided into slots or go wide.
The complexity of the tight end is significantly higher than what we typically imagine it is. The move from college to the NFL frequently fails to live up to the players’ expectations and occasionally causes their careers to be derailed.
Who do you think is the best tight end in the history of the game? The names on the list are all significant landmarks that include enormous castles. Let’s begin with the best tight end of all time in NFL history.
1- Tony Gonzalez
Kansas City 1997-2008; Atlanta 2009-13
270 games โ 111 touchdowns, 1,325 catches, 15,127 yards (11.4 ypc)
NFL 100 All-Time Team (2019)
Pro Football Hall of Fame (2019)
6-time first-team All-Pro, 14-time Pro Bowls
Tony Gonzalez’s position as the best tight end in NFL history is untouchable at this point. Just looking at the stats won’t tell you anything. However, with over 1,300 receptions and 15,000 receiving yards, you can’t say that this was just a coincidence.
Gonzalez is the only tight end who possesses a balanced combination of durability and output, and he does so exceptionally well. He only missed two games throughout the course of 17 seasons. Gonzalez, who is now in his late 30s and still a formidable opponent, is the undisputed best at his position.
2- Kellen Winslow
San Diego 1979-87
3-time first-team All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler,
109 games โ 541 catches, 6,741 yards (12.5 ypc), 45 TDs
Pro Football Hall of Fame 1995
NFL 100 All-Time Team 2019
Winslow is considered to be one of the most iconic tight ends in the annals of NFL history. In this role, he represents the first significant worm danger. Winslow, in conjunction with Dan Fouts, makes the passing offense more perilous than it has ever been. In a big way, he established a new standard for the tight end position in modern football.
3- John Mackey
Baltimore Colts 1963-71; San Diego Chargers 1972
3-time first-team All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler
139 games โ 331 catches,
5,236 yards (15.8 ypc), 38 TDs, 19 rushes, 127 yards (6.7 ypc)
Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1992
NFL 100 All-Time Team 2019
The John Mackey Award is given annually to the player who excels in the position of a tight end in college football. You now have an understanding of the greatness of one of these finest tight ends in the NFL just based on this alone.
Mackey was one of the most dangerous offensive weapons when he was at the height of his career. Even more astounding is the fact that he missed only one game over the course of ten consecutive seasons.
4- Jason Witten
Dallas 2003-17, โ19, Las Vegas 2020
2-time first-team All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowls
239 games โ 1,228 catches, 13,046 yards (10.6 ypc), 74 TDs
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Witten is an image of an old-school tight end: a towering guy who blocks passes and collects throws with force. Over the course of 15 seasons, he was the cornerstone of the Dallas Cowboys franchise. The player also experimented with a career in broadcasting by joining the “Monday Night Football” broadcasting team for ESPN.
In 2019, Jason Witten made his comeback to the Cowboys and went on to have a successful season with the team. His tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders, which has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, will finish in 2020.
5- Dave Casper
Oakland 1974-80, โ84, Houston Oilers 1981-83; Minnesota 1983
4-time first-team All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowls
Super Bowl XI, XV champion (Raiders)
147 games โ 378 catches, 5,216 yards (13.8 ypc), 52 TDs
The strength of this conventional tight end has been demonstrated by his inclusion on the All-Pro team for four consecutive years and appearances in two Super Bowls. Casper was a renowned athlete who weighed 250 pounds and possessed strong physical abilities in addition to excellent NFL tight end records. The most lasting impressions that I have of him are his long arms, his enormous hands, and his ability to disregard contact up to the point where it causes him to catch up.
6- Rob Gronkowskl
New England Patriots 2010-18, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2020-Present.
4-time first-team All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowls
Super Bowl XLIX, LI, LIII, LV champion
AP & PFWA Comeback Player of the Year (2014)
115 games โ 566 catches, 8,484 yards (15.1 ypc), 86 touchdowns
NFL 100 All-Time Team (2019)
Gronkowski is widely considered to be one of the most dominant tight ends in the game today. He made the Patriots one of the most powerful organizations of the season since 2010, thanks to his outstanding performances and the synergy he developed with Tom Brady.
Now, he’s working alongside Tom Brady to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers become yet another dynastic franchise. This formidable tight end stood 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and weighed 288 pounds. While playing for the Patriots, he earned three Super Bowl rings. In the year 2020, he led the Buccaneers to another championship victory.
Gronkowski was nominated for the Pro Bowl five times throughout the course of his whole career, which spanned nine seasons. He also established a number of records.
7- Mike Ditka
Chicago Bears 1961-66; Philadelphia Eagles 1967-68; Dallas Cowboys 1969-72.
2-time first-team All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowls
Super Bowl VI champion (Cowboys).
158 games โ 5,812 yards (13.6 ypc), 427 catches, 43 touchdowns
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988)
NFL 100 All-Time Team, class of 2019
If the metrics from the Super Bowl period are used as a standard for the list, then Mike Ditka’s place on the list of the top 10 greatest tight ends of all time is unlikely to be among them. In the modern period, his season with an average of 32.4 yards per game was considered to be his greatest. This tight end’s danger and harm were primarily concentrated four years before the start of the Super Bowl era.
Despite this, the standout tight end’s total of 12 touchdowns since he was a rookie is still the highest ever recorded for a tight end. Because of this play, Ditka became one of the most well-known tight ends of his day. Rob Gronkowski, who comes in at number six on this list, is the only player to have also posted seasons with double-digit touchdown totals.
8- Antonio Gates
San Diego 2003-18
3-time first-team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler
236 games โ 11,841 yards (12.4 ypc), 955 catches, 116 touchdowns
Additionally, Gates began his athletic career as a collegiate basketball player. This tight end’s strength derives from its exceptional athletic ability, which allows it to create issues for opponents it faces.
Not only does he hold the record for the most touchdown catches by a tight end with 116, but he also ranks sixth all-time on the list of players’ careers in this category.
9- Charlie Sanders
Detroit 1968-77
3-time first-team All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowl
128 games โ 4,817 yards (14.3 ypc), 336 catches, 31 touchdowns
Pro Football Hall of Fame (2007)
Because Charlie Sanders possesses the skills of a front-runner, he is ranked among the top 10 tight ends in the history of the position. Sanders first demonstrated his athletic ability when competing at the collegiate level in basketball. This astonishing change continues to be impressive even after all this time has passed. If we had to describe Sanders in three adjectives; they would be “elusive,” “powerful,” and “sporty,” respectively. In spite of the fact that he had a long and slender frame, he was nonetheless quite good at blocking.
Although the statistics surrounding Sanders may not be as exciting as those around other members of the team, his importance to the group is incontestable.
10- Ozzie Newsome
Cleveland 1978-90
First-team All-Pro (1984), 3-time Pro Bowler
198 games โ 7,980 yards (12.1 ypc), 662 catches, 47 touchdowns
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999)
In the 1980s, Newsome and Kellen Winslow were two of the best tight ends that the National Football League has ever seen.
Newsome, who served as the Browns’ offensive captain for a lengthy period of time, led the team to the playoffs seven times between the years 1980 and 1989. Unfortunately for him, fortune was not on his side as the Denver Broncos won all three of the conference title contests he was competing in.
Newsome participated in 198 games over his career and caught at least one pass in each of the first 150 games he appeared in. This record stretch came to an end just one year prior to his retirement.
In addition to its achievements with the Browns, “Wizard of Oz” was also successful while serving as general manager for the Baltimore Ravens, where it won two Super Bowl awards.
Final Thoughts:
Who is the best TE of all time? We hope that by looking at this list of the all-time leaders in the NFL’s tight end position, you have gained some understanding of the greats who have played in the league. They are without a doubt the greatest NFL tight ends of all time, despite the fact that our list is still missing some names like Shannon Sharpe or Greg Olsen.
There is some disagreement regarding the order in which the remaining players should be ranked, despite the fact that it is unarguable who holds the title of the greatest tight end of all time. Regardless, the fact that they have worked hard and accomplished so much demonstrates that they should be included on the list.
Who is the greatest tight end of all time?
Tony Gonzalez is the only player in the history of tight ends who have ever been able to play the position better than anybody else. In spite of the physically demanding nature of the position, he participated in all but two games over the course of 17 seasons in the National Football League.
Who is considered the greatest tight end of all time?
Gil Brandt, the senior analyst for NFL Media and personnel guru, ranked the best tight ends in the history of the National Football League. Take a look at how they compare to one another.
Who has the most Impressive NFL tight end record?
With 116 total touchdowns in his 16 seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, Antonio Gates holds the record for the most career touchdowns scored by a tight end in the history of the National Football League (NFL). This record was set by Antonio Gates, who surpassed Tony Gonzales, the previous holder of the record, who had accumulated 111 receiving touchdowns over the course of his career.
Who is the best Tight End in the NFL 2022?
The latest updated rankings of fantasy tight ends, including the best tight ends, the top sleepers, and the breakout players in fantasy football draughts. Before the start of the last few seasons, it was a given that Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews would be ranked as the top four tight ends in the preseason fantasy TE rankings. This was the case even before those seasons began.
Who is the shortest tight end in the NFL?
Who holds the record for the smallest tight end in the history of the NFL? What is this, exactly? Trindon Holliday, who stands at 5 feet and 5 inches (1.65 meters), is the shortest player to ever compete in the National Football League. At the beginning of his football career, Holliday struggled through some tough times.
