After just nine seasons in the NFL, Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL a few months ago and so far, he hasn't looked back since. Gronk won three NFL Championships in his short career and cemented himself as one of the best tight ends to ever play the game. Gronk is in some good company that includes players like Shannon Sharpe, Mike Ditka, and Tony Gonzalez. TMZ Sports recently caught with Gonzalez where they asked him if Gronk is now the GOAT or if it's still Gonzalez himself.
The former NFL player was very diplomatic with his answer as he said: "Hey, we're both great, we're both the G.O.A.T.s."
Of course, Gonzalez played almost twice as many seasons as Gronkowski with 17. In those years, Gonzalez was able to double Gronkowski's reception and yardage numbers, all while picking up 111 touchdowns to Gronk's 79. Unfortunately for Gonzalez, he was never able to win an NFL title, which definitely puts a damper on his case for being the best ever.
If Gronk had played an extra eight seasons like Gonzalez, he certainly would have had similar stats, although we'll never know for sure. Regardless, both are some of the best tight ends to ever play and there is a great case for either of them.