Rob Gronkowski crowns $76,400,000 star as best NFL TE right now

Rob Gronkowski has weighed in on the ongoing debate over which tight end sits atop the NFL hierarchy, naming George Kittle his clear pick for the league’s best at the position.

The retired star made his endorsement during an appearance on the YouTube show "Hot Ones Versus," where he was asked to rank Kittle, Dallas Goedert, Mark Andrews and Dalton Kincaid.

Kittle, who signed a record-setting four-year contract extension valued at $76.4 million earlier this year, is coming off another productive campaign with the San Francisco 49ers. Despite team injuries throughout 2024, he surpassed 1,100 receiving yards for the fourth time in his career.

"All right, this is easy. I'm going to answer totally: George Kittle by far," Gronkowski said on Wednesday. "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."

Gronkowski’s estimate of George Kittle’s touchdowns slightly overshot the official total. Kittle finished with eight. His performance still ranked among the most complete seasons by a tight end. The 31-year-old also racked up 522 yards after the catch, second only to Las Vegas rookie Brock Bowers among tight ends.

Rob Gronkowski shares his thoughts on others below George Kittle

NFL: Pro Bowl Games-NFC Practice - Source: Imagn

Rob Gronkowski, who spent nine seasons with the Patriots and two with the Buccaneers before retiring, shared the rest of his rankings.

He placed Philadelphia Eagles veteran Dallas Goedert in second, citing his contributions to the Eagles’ recent Super Bowl title. Baltimore Ravens standout Mark Andrews came third for his reliability and franchise touchdown records. Rounding out the list was Buffalo Bills youngster Dalton Kincaid.

"Number two I'm going to go with Dallas because he just won a Super Bowl. Number three I'm going go with Mark Andrews. A lot of experience, he actually has the most receiving touchdowns in franchise history for the Baltimore Ravens, and number four I'll go with Dalton Kincaid. He's just a young buck, he's only been what two years in the NFL?"

Off the field, Kittle continues to invest in the tight end community through Tight End University, an annual summit he co-founded with Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen. This year’s event brought together more than 80 tight ends for film sessions, technique workshops, and position-specific drills in Nashville.