Yes, this article is going to mention Taylor Swift, and for that we quickly apologize. She is something else, and she has now hooked up with one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history (as she tells her GFs, using the term “tight end” liberally).

What does a tight end do in football?

The tight end is an offensive lineman who is eligible to catch passes. Everyone else on the offensive line is there to do two things: Protect the quarterback and open holes for running backs. The tight end can catch passes and every once in a while will be used as a ball-carrier in a trick play. Is Travis Kelce the best tight end in the NFL?

In some systems, the tight end will merely act as a sixth offensive lineman, rarely going out for passes. Other systems use the tight end primarily as a receiver, frequently taking advantage of the tight end's size to create mismatches in the defensive secondary. Many coaches will often have one tight end who specializes in blocking on running plays while using a tight end with better pass-catching skills in obvious passing situations.

Offensive formations might have as few as zero or as many as three tight ends at one time. Rabid NFL fans know the best TEs in the league.

Due to rules changes made in the 1950s, greater use of the tight end as a receiver began in the 1960s and led to the emergence of stars at the position.

Who were the best ever at this position? TE rankings are here, and NFL fans can debate whether these are the best rankings out there. We at Betway certainly think so, so let’s rank ’em.

Ranking the 10 Greatest Tight Ends in NFL History

  1. Ozzie Newsome

Career Span: 1978 to 1990
Team: Cleveland Browns
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (1979, 1984), Pro Bowl (1981, 1984, 1985)

Before becoming an award-winning executive for both the Browns and Baltimore Ravens, this native of Muscle Shoals, Ala., was the 23rd overall pick in the NFL Draft’s first round after a college career at Alabama, where Bear Bryant called Ozzie Newsome the greatest tight end in the history of Crimson Tide football. He was named the Browns' Offensive Player of the Year as a rookie, the first time in 25 years that a rookie received that honor. Newsome went to the Pro Bowl in 1981, 1984, and 1985. In 1984, Newsome set a franchise record for receiving yards in a game (191) that stood for 29 years. Although he was never able to play in a Super Bowl, Newsome went to the playoffs seven times with Cleveland and made three trips to the AFC Championship Game. Newsome finished his career with 662 receptions and 7,980 yards -- both Cleveland franchise records.

  1. Mike Ditka

Career Span: 1961 to 1972
Teams: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys
Awards and Honors: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1961), First Team All-Pro (1963, 1964), Pro Bowl (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965)

Best known as the coach who led the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl championship, Mike Ditka earned his stripes in Chicago as a player out of Carnegie, Pa., and the University of Pittsburgh (where he was also on the baseball, wrestling, and basketball teams). He was drafted with No. 5 overall pick in 1961 and, in addition to being a receiver, Ditka was a linebacker, defensive end, and punter. His father was a welder in Western Pennsylvania whose Ukrainian surname "Dyczko" was difficult to pronounce in his hometown, so the family name was changed to "Ditka." As an NFL player, he had 427 career receptions, 5,812 receiving yards, and 43 touchdown catches. After being traded to Philadelphia in 1967, he took a parting shot at the Bears by stating that team owner George Halas "threw nickels around like manhole covers.”

  1. Jason Witten

Career Span: 2003 to 2020
Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (2007, 2010), Pro Bowl (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017)

This native of Washington, D.C., ranks second in all-time career receptions and receiving yards by an NFL tight end, trailing only Tony Gonzalez. Jason Witten had 1,228 career receptions and 13,046 receiving yards with 74 touchdowns during a stellar 16-season career with “America’s Team,” as the Cowboys were known. Following the 2017 college football season, Witten's name was placed on a college football award. The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award honors a player who shows strong leadership qualities on and off the field. At Tennessee, he also played basketball and averaged double figures in points and rebounds. On the Vols football team, he also played linebacker.

  1. John Mackey

Career Span: 1963 to 1972
Teams: Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (1966, 1967, 1968), Pro Bowl (1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968)

John Mackey, a native of Roosevelt, N.Y., was drafted by teams in both the AFL and NFL, and the Colts got him with a superior offer. He went on to catch one of the most famous passes in NFL history, a 75-year touchdown from Johnny Unitas that saw the ball tipped twice before Mackey caught it, helping Baltimore defeat Dallas 16-13 in Super Bowl V. Mackey played his first nine seasons with the Colts, but after losing his starting role ahead of the 1972 season, he asked to be traded. Colts general manager Joe Thomas placed him on the team's retired list instead, prompting Mackey to demand that he be put on waivers. Initially, he was not claimed by any team in an attempt by franchise owners to blackball him for having been the president of the NFL Players Association.

  1. Kellen Winslow

Career Span: 1979 to 1987
Team: San Diego Chargers
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (1980, 1981, 1982), Pro Bowl (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987)

This native of East St. Louis, Ill., was the 1979 NFL Draft’s 13th overall pick coming out of Missouri, where he was an All-American and earned a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. After Kellen Winslow’s playing career ended, he became an athletic director and administrator at Central State (Ohio), Lakeland, and Florida A&M. A self-described nerd who played a lot of chess and did not join his high school football team until his senior year, Winslow led the NFL in receptions in 1980 and 1981, becoming the second tight end ever to lead the league in receptions in back-to-back seasons. His 89 catches in 1980 set an NFL record for tight ends, breaking the previous mark of 75 held by Mike Ditka. He also exceeded the 1,000-yard mark in receiving three times, including setting an NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,290 yards in the 1980 season. That record stood until 2011.

  1. Antonio Gates

Career Span: 2003 to 2018
Team: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (2004, 2005, 2006), Pro Bowl (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Let’s just say that the college game missed out on this native of Detroit, who attended Kent State but did not play football, choosing instead to play basketball.  After going undrafted in 2003, Antonio Gates signed with the Chargers and went on to spend his entire career with them, totaling 955 receptions and 11,841 receiving yards while catching 116 touchdown passes. The Kent State basketball program retired Gates’ No. 44 on Feb. 27, 2010, making him just the fourth member of the Golden Flashes to receive that honor. He ended his NFL career with a record 116 touchdown catches, including 89 thrown by Philip Rivers, which was the most ever by a quarterback-tight end duo at the time.

  1. Travis Kelce

Career Span: 2013 to present
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022), Pro Bowl (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend was a third-round draft pick out of Cincinnati who grew up in Westlake, Ohio, and was a top-rated quarterback in high school. Travis Kelce’s brother, Jason, plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. Travis holds NFL records for most seasons with at least 1,000 yards in receptions (seven), most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (seven), most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end (1,416), most seasons with at least 100 receptions by a tight end (three), and most games with at least 100 receiving yards (35). In 2023, Kelce caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35 to win his second Super Bowl. Arguably the greatest Chiefs tight end of all time.

  1. Shannon Sharpe

Career Span: 1990 to 2003
Teams: Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998), Pro Bowl (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001)

This Chicago native holds the NFL single-game record for receiving yards by a tight end with 214, which he accomplished on Oct. 20, 2002. Shannon Sharpe scored 62 career touchdowns, had 10,060 receiving yards, and won three Super Bowls after being a seventh-round pick out of Savannah State. He captured Super Bowl titles with both the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens before becoming a television analyst for CBS. After two mediocre seasons as a receiver in which he caught just 29 passes, Denver converted Sharpe to a tight end. This quickly paid off, as he caught 53 passes in his third season and was frequently double-teamed thereafter.

  1. Tony Gonzalez

Career Span: 1997 to 2013
Teams: Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons
Awards and Honors: First Team All-Pro (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012), Pro Bowl (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)

The Torrance, Calif., native is the NFL's all-time leader in receiving yards (15,127) and receptions (1,325) by a tight end, along with ranking third in overall receptions (1,325). Tony Gonzalez spent his first 12 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who selected him 13th overall in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft after he played both football and basketball at Cal. Since retiring in 2013, Gonzalez, recognized by many as one of the best tight ends of all time, has served as a football analyst for NFL games on Amazon Prime.

  1. Rob Gronkowski

Career Span: 2010 to 2021
Teams: New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Awards and Honors: NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2014), First Team All-Pro (2011, 2014, 2015, 2017), Pro Bowl (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017)

Gronk is now on television as a broadcaster and spokesperson for several major national brands, but for a long time he was the guy best known for catching Tom Brady’s touchdown passes, especially in Super Bowls. The native of Amherst, N.Y., played in the NFL for 11 seasons -- nine with the New England Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First Team All-Pro selection. The first player of his position to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (17 in 2011), Rob Gronkowski also has the most combined receptions (23) and receiving yards (297) by a tight end in Super Bowl history. He caught 79 TD passes for the Patriots, and he caught 23 passes in his four Super Bowls, the most ever by a tight end. We have him as the best tight end of all time.

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