Gronk Names His No. 1 Tight End And It's 'Easy' for Kittle
You wanna argue with Rob Gronkowski?
We recently suggested - amid George Kittle's funny pre-retirement announcement - that the San Francisco 49ers star is "the best all-around tight end in the NFL.''
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His pass-catching numbers from 2024 do not scream that.
But "Gronk,'' a four-time Super Bowl champion and one of the sport's legendary players at that position, was on 'Hot Ones Versus' and was asked to rank the game's top tight ends of today.
And he did No. 1 with no hesitation.
'All right, this is easy. I'm going to answer, totally,' Gronkowski said. 'George Kittle, by far. He was All-Pro last year. He had over 1,000 yards. He had over 10 touchdowns.
"The best in the game right now so that's an easy No. 1.'
In 2024, he finished with 78 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns despite a major down year for the team. ... and with the stars around him regularly dropping out due to injury.
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He is now at age 31, and while we (and Gronk) say the Kittle arrow remains pointing up, Kittle knows the end is inevitable.
And when he's done starring for the 49ers, maybe with another Super Bowl appearance on his resume?
Kittle, whose status as one of the most productive offensive players in the league is what helped him earn a four-year $76.4 million deal this offseason - making him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history - has. vision.
As he revealed on the "Bussin with the Boys" podcast, there is a window here.
'I don't know, I think if I get to 35 and it hurts to put pants on in the morning, I think I'll be like, 'Ah, this isn't that much fun anymore,' and I'll have a conversation with myself. But I'm feeling great right now.'
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And Gronk is buying into that very same greatness.
Related: Kittle To Let Wife And WWE Guide His Retirement Plan from 49ers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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