Rob Gronkowski knows what greatness looks like at the tight end position. In a recent appearance on Hot Ones Versus alongside former teammate WR Danny Amendola, the four-time Super Bowl champion made it clear who holds the top spot in the NFL: George Kittle.
"All right, this is easy. I'm going to answer totally: George Kittle by far," Gronkowski said when asked to rank the top tight ends in the league today. "He was All-Pro last year. He had over 1,000 yards, he had over 10 touchdowns. He's the best in the game right now. So that's an easy number one."
Kittle, who earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2023 and Second-Team honors in 2024, continues to set the standard at his position. "The People's Tight End" stands out for his rare combination of physicality, YAC abilities, and consistent blocking. Last season, Kittle recorded the second-most yards-after-catch by a tight end in the league. Following Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers, Kittle racked up 522 yards-after-catch.
"George Kittle I think is a Hall of Fame pass game guy and run game guy," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "He's a huge part of the offense."
Beyond the field, Kittle is also helping to shape the future of the position. He's currently hosting the fifth-annual Tight End University, a three-day summit held June 23–25 alongside Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and former Pro Bowler Greg Olsen. The camp brings together tight ends from across the league for film study and on-field drills, with the goal of building camaraderie and elevating the position across all 32 teams.
As a six-time Pro Bowler, Kittle's drawn praise from around the league for years, but hearing it from Gronk carries extra weight. Gronkowski is widely considered as one of the best tight ends of all time, with four Super Bowl rings, five Pro Bowl selections, and a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team.
After placing Kittle at the top of his list, Gronkowski shared his ranking of the next top four:
No. 2: Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert; "He just won a Super Bowl," Gronkowski added.
No. 3: Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews; "A lot of experience. He actually has the most reception touchdowns in franchise history for the Baltimore Ravens out of receivers and tight ends," Gronkowski said.
No. 4: Buffalo Bills TE Dalton Kincaid; "He's just a young buck, only two years in the NFL," Gronkowski said.
Check out the full hot chicken wings and hot questions battle between Gronkowski and Amendola on YouTube here:
