The debate over the greatest tight end in NFL history usually comes down to two names, Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski. And as Kelce plays out what could be his final season, plenty of people have been weighing in on where he stands.
Former New England Patriots tight end Christian Fauria made his pick clear this week, and it wasn’t Kelce. Fauria not only put Gronkowski at the top of the list, but he also called Kelce “soft” because of what he sees as a lack of willingness to block.
Kelce vs. Gronk
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Kelce has put together one of the most productive careers by a tight end in NFL history. In 13-plus seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, he has caught 1,109 passes for 13,412 yards and 84 touchdowns, and he has won three Super Bowls.
Gronkowski, meanwhile, caught 621 passes for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in 11 seasons with the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won four Super Bowls and was widely considered the most complete tight end of his era, thanks in large part to his blocking.
Now 37, Kelce returned for a 14th season this year, but his production has dipped after head coach Andy Reid has suggested that the veteran [may see a reduced workload](https://thecomeback.com/nfl/andy-reid-reveals-travis-kelce-may-have-reduced-workload.html) this season. He has 29 catches for 410 yards and two touchdowns through seven games.
‘Gronk and a gap’
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Fauria, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, made his case for Gronkowski on NESN, and he took a pretty clear shot at Kelce in the process, even if he did claim that he meant “no disrespect.”
“I don’t think there’s anybody better. Now, Kelce gets a lot of flak because he just, he’s soft. He’s just soft, right? There’s no disrespect. Doesn’t mean he couldn’t beat you up in a fight, but when it comes to blocking, I just don’t think he has a willingness to do it,” Fauria said, in [a clip shared by Chiefs Receipts](https://x.com/ChiefsReceiptsX/status/2119261517396787623).
“But Gronk could do everything all those other guys can do. He could find the void. He could finesse you in zone. He could run deep. He can run seams. He could run shallows. He can run crossers. And the other thing is that he could play the wide receiver position, like Shannon Sharpe in a slot, Gronk in the slot, Travis Kelce, like, just unobstructed,” he continued.
Fauria argued that being a complete tight end means doing more than just catching passes, and that only one player fits that description and nobody else comes particularly close.
“So to me, if you really want to treat the position and grade the position like it should be graded, because you’re not a slot, you’re not Jimmy Graham, like, that’s not the position. If you’re going to do that I don’t know how you could say it’s anyone other than Gronk. And quite frankly, I think there’s Gronk and a gap. I’m just being honest. It’s Gronk and then there’s a gap and then you fill in the blanks how you want,” Fauria said.
Needless to say, Chiefs fans aren’t going to love that take.