Patriots fans call out Chiefs for Travis Kelce declaration

As expected, the New England fandom would not stand for it, flooding X (Twitter) with Rob Gronkowski references.

It’s been a debate that’s occurred as of late. Ever since Kelce garnered his third Super Bowl title in February, the GOAT conversation for the tight end position has been a prevalent topic among football fans. The conclusion of the 2023-24 season also meant that Kelce and Gronkowsi now have the same amount of seasons played, further igniting the debate.

Looking at the numbers, it’s a close race. Kelce leads Gronkowski in several major statistics such as total receiving yards (regular season and playoffs), postseason touchdowns, yards per game, total receptions, receptions per game, catch percentage and Pro Bowl selections.

The Patriots legend, on the other hand, has more regular-season touchdowns, Super Bowl titles and yards per reception.

Both players are tied with four First Team All-Pro selections each. Although Kelce does have more All-Pro seasons if one were to include Second Team selections.

The main difference between Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce

Nevertheless, one thing that Patriots fans bring up is how Gronkowski excelled more at blocking, and had the ability to go toe-to-toe against the largest and most aggressive defensive linemen. Kelce, on the other hand, can be described as a pass-catching tight end who’s more involved in route-running alongside the wideouts.

With the ball, Gronkowski is the more physical out of the two, using his size to overpower defenders. The Chiefs’ newly-signed star, on the contrary, is more agile and fluid when tallying the yards.

There won’t be a opinionated conclusion on this article regarding who is better, but it’s safe to say that the value of both tight ends depends on the type of offense that a team is running. If a coach needs a TE that’s heavily involved in the blocking game, but can make plays on the catch as well, then Gronk is the better choice. If a team needs a TE that constantly poses as an elite receiving threat, then Kelce is the way to go.

Even Gronkowski himself had high praise for Kelce’s catching abilities.

“If you’re talking about a tight end, he’s (Kelce is) the best tight end in terms of catching the ball,” Gronkowski said on a podcast last year. “There’s no doubt about it, you can’t even argue.” (per ClutchPoints’ Sonny Giuliano)

There won’t be an end to the debate anytime soon, but it won’t change the fact that both men are already greats in their own right.