Since the 2014 NFL season when someone would ask, “Who is the best tight end in football?” it usually led to an argument between Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. Kelce rarely came out on the winning side of the debate, and that’s fine because it wasn’t his time. It didn’t matter that both players were unequivocally different in play-style. Both were considered among the elite tier of TEs in the NFL, only one could be the best.
Earlier this season ESPN analyst Booger McFarland came under fire for saying that Kelce is the best TE in football during the Chiefs vs. Broncos Monday Night Football game. Patrick Mahomes came under similar criticism when he said Kelce ranks as the best TE in football to him. He even admitted his bias, and folks were still in uproar because of Gronkowski’s mere existence.
Now that Gronkowski has retired from the league, it’s time for Kelce to claim his throne as the NFL’s best TE. That’s not to say Kelce won’t have competition, just as Gronk had when he was the undisputed best. Kelce’s main competition comes in Eagles TE Zach Ertz, and 49ers TE George Kittle. The sample size for Kittle is too small, so that leaves Ertz.
Ertz certainly has a good argument to be the NFL’s best TE. For instance he has a Super Bowl ring, which is always a good trump card. But when you look at the whole picture, it’s hard to come out with Ertz on top.
Both Ertz and Kelce have played in the NFL since 2013, and Kelce has started in 17 more games than Ertz despite missing his entire rookie season due to injury. Kelce has 502 more career receiving yards, and three more touchdowns than Ertz on 27 less career receptions. Even in the playoffs, both players have played six career games, and Kelce comes out on top. On two less receptions Kelce has over 109 more yards than Ertz.
So Kelce has the edge in career production, and now he’s playing the NFL’s most valuable player of the 2018 season. I think it’ll be quite difficult for Ertz or Kittle to unseat Kelce for quite sometime, but both will continue to be in the conversation at least until Kelce decides to relinquish his throne.
