"I will be really bummed": Rob Gronkowski outlines "proud" record he'd hate to see Travis Kelce break

Rob Gronkowski may have retired from the NFL, but he still keeps a close eye on all the records he holds. But before hanging up his cleats, the four-time Super Bowl winner knew when he retired that some of his records would eventually fall.

After all, Travis Kelce is catching up on Gronkowski’s accolades. While Gronk had Tom Brady on his side, Kelce has the support of arguably the best quarterback in the game right now - Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City Chiefs duo rocked the NFL ever since teaming up in 2018, making 4 Super Bowl appearances in the last 5 seasons.

On Monday's episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Gronkowski expressed his true feelings about the tough competition from Kelce.

"I really wasn't bummed, because he started breaking my record 2-3 years ago when I retired and I was bummed at first, now I'm just kinda used to it," Gronkowski said.

Just weeks ago, Kelce also set a record with Mahomes when they passed Brady and Gronkowski for the most postseason touchdowns for a duo in NFL history with 16. But there's one record Gronkowski is proud of. The 34-year-old has scored the most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in a season, with 17 touchdowns in 2011.

Although Kelce looks far from breaking Gronkowski's record this season, the Chiefs tight end passed Jerry Rice's record for the most postseason receptions in NFL history with 152 catches.

"Travis is an absolute beast, him and Patrick Mahomes have been putting on a display for NFL week in and week out but there is one record that I am proud to hold to this day still and it's the single-season receiving record for most touchdowns by a tight end. So, if he breaks that one I will be really bummed but he has broken about every other record," he added.

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Rob Gronkowski picks his 2023 Super Bowl favorite

Since retiring from the NFL in June 2022, Gronkowski has been a regular figure on the broadcasting front alongside former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman. As Kelce's Chiefs prepare to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 Super Bowl, Gronkowski believes the Niners will come out victorious in Las Vegas.

"I'm gonna go with the San Francisco 49ers. They got a lot of firepower. They've got so many weapons at every position: Wide receiver, running back, tight end. Their offensive line is solid. Kansas City defense has been showing up like no other this year. But I'm still gonna go with the 49ers," he explained.

Interestingly, the Chiefs’ era of dominance kickstarted with a win over the 49ers in 2019. With a familiar foe waiting for them on the other side, the 49ers, led by Kyle Shanahan and his phenomenal offense, will look to avenge the 2019 Super Bowl loss to kickstart a dynasty of their own.