Who is the best receiving KC TE of all time?

[Black Adam]

Honestly, Im probably not the best person for this exact conversation because I was a Rams fan while they were in STL which coincides with a lot of this. Tony G did have Vermeil and Trent Green and it was certainly easy to root for both teams.

That said, the team Tony left was terrible. I remember him being double and triple covered and a QB about as good as Zach Wilson throwing to him.

As long as I've been a Chiefs fan it's incredible that I can STILL count the number of franchise QB'S they've had on one hand...and I've been a fan since the '67 season...

 

[Clayton]

As long as I've been a Chiefs fan it's incredible that I can STILL count the number of franchise QB'S they've had on one hand...and I've been a fan since the '67 season...

I think the first Chiefs QB I remember was Steve Deberg. Way better than Tyler Thigpen. I believe the Chiefs lost both Jared Allen and Tony G in the span of a year and that team was in full rebuild.

 

[Black Adam]

I think the first Chiefs QB I remember was Steve Deberg. Way better than Tyler Thigpen. I believe the Chiefs lost both Jared Allen and Tony G in the span of a year and that team was in full rebuild.

Ugh lol yeah, Tyler Thigpen, Brodie Croyle, Steve Bono, Steve Fuller and of course Elvis Grbac to name a few. Less than impressive list to be sure...

 

[broncosmitty]

I remember being at a Chiefs/Lions game in 2010 or 11 and seeing some scrubass wearing 88 for KC.

And being embarrassed for them that they just gave that number out again so quickly.

Don’t know if there was bad blood, or if someone just didn’t care, but that’s stuck with me for a decade.

I voted for Kelce because of that travesty.

 

[ROMOTOOWENS]

I would love to have seen Tony with an actual HOF QB in this era. My sneaky feeling is it’s him, but Kelce is definitely challenging him and may surpass him which I thought to be completely impossible.

Exactly. Kelce is great and a future HOF. Imagine Tony G. with Reid and Mahomes

 

[Chief Cola]

I would love to have seen Tony with an actual HOF QB in this era. My sneaky feeling is it’s him, but Kelce is definitely challenging him and may surpass him which I thought to be completely impossible.

To be fair, Kelce had 3,900 yards and 22 TDs in four seasons with Alex Smith. He was good before Mahomes took over.

People love to say a QB's best friend is a good running game but I wonder if a bigass TE who can catch is even better for a passer.

I think Gonzalez was the best at using his height, he caught alot of passes up high like they were rebounds on a basketball court.

 

[fightinfunbags]

what I will say is Kelce is maybe the most intelligent TE in terms of football IQ all time. The routes he runs are not normal and require incredible intuition and chemistry at times with his QB.

Solid comment. A bunch of people don’t realize this but throughout high school Kelce played QB and even started his career at QB before being moved to TE. I listen to the Kelce podcast and earlier this year he commented on his time playing QB helping him in understanding route combinations and reading coverages.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Solid comment. A bunch of people don’t realize this but throughout high school Kelce played QB and even started his career at QB before being moved to TE. I listen to the Kelce podcast and earlier this year he commented on his time playing QB helping him in understanding route combinations and reading coverages.

My bad. Meant to say started his career at Cincinnati at QB.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Eh I still have to go with Tony G at the moment...

Kelce has the luxury of a dominate QB and the best offensive minded HC in possibly NFL history.... not saying that detracts from Kelce's phenomenal ability/play, but I still gotta give it to Tony for now.... guy was a hoover, snatched up everything thrown his way.

But man it's close... maybe another few years for Kelce and I could easily switch that. Tony did it for a long time, and his 'down seasons' were when he was getting like 100 targets. When he got closer to the targets Kelce was getting he put up very similar #s.

 

[Robotech]

Tony G had better hands. Kelce more explosive.

Tony G is a lot like Larry Fitzgerald. You can imagine there are better talents but its hard to imagine there are better players.

Kelce is definitely faster and more agile. I wondered if Tony G had better hops because of the basketball background, but the combine stats show that Kelce jumped higher. Maybe Tony G was better at boxing out defenders. Regardless, I think Kelce is the best receiving TE ever.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Kelce is definitely faster and more agile. I wondered if Tony G had better hops because of the basketball background, but the combine stats show that Kelce jumped higher. Maybe Tony G was better at boxing out defenders. Regardless, I think Kelce is the best receiving TE ever.

Well guys are bigger/faster stronger these days. Those two are almost 15 years apart. Now you've got 300+ lb lineman running like 4.9s fairly often... it's insane. Jordan Davis 6'6" 340 lbs and the guy runs a 4.7? Like WTF... but hard to argue against what you said... it's damn close regardless.

 

[Maximus Rex]

Different eras make it too hard to judge. Sort of like the old Joe Montana/Peyton/Brady debates. I've seen them both, and I'd put both Gonzo and Kelce in the all time top 10, in any event.

 

[VikingFan2k2]

To be fair, Kelce had 3,900 yards and 22 TDs in four seasons with Alex Smith. He was good before Mahomes took over.

People love to say a QB's best friend is a good running game but I wonder if a bigass TE who can catch is even better for a passer.

I think Gonzalez was the best at using his height, he caught alot of passes up high like they were rebounds on a basketball court.

Ask any fantasy football player how great it is to have a quality TE. Elite ones get you paid. And there are only like 2 or 3 of them.

Real teams have a lot tougher odds. Hell, the Vikings just traded for Hockinson, who is nowhere near Kelce.

 

[Duffman]

Tony G is better than Kelce, heck Kelce isn’t even better than Gronk, but he is in the top 5.

 

[ArlingtonCowboys100]

Gonzales was great,but IMO Kelce just shows up in big moments of big games. Not a Chiefs fan,but I like Kelces game. I want that clutch type player.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Kelce is a freak and amazing route runner, athletically gifted but no doubt he's had the luxury of when it's all said and done one of the best QB's of all-time. He also plays in a different era. Gonzo didn't have much from his QB's and he played in a more physical league, he had to worry about blindside hits and shit like that. In the "protect the players era" Kelce is easily the best TE. Gonzo in his era was the best and he had amazing hands. Overall Gonzo is still the best TE ever imo

 

[ducky]

Tony G is better than Kelce, heck Kelce isn’t even better than Gronk, but he is in the top 5.

Gronk was a better overall TE (that is why I made sure to put the word receiving TE in the thread title)....but he wasnt the better receiving target. Personally for me Gronk is the best overall TE ever. But he wasnt a receiving TE that found a lot of space for a lot of completions like Kelce and others did. Was sick at contested catches and Brady was never shy about throwing it into tight windows. But the lack of ability to separate keeps him down a peg from some of the other great receiving TE's. But his blocking and red zone catches put him back on top for me overall.

Kelce is ridiculous for the modern era. 71.2% of the time they throw at him, it is a completion. And to still post 12.8 yards per catch with that sick completion percentage is super impressive.

Just to give you a comparison, Cooper Kupp is 72.9% for 12.5 ypc in his career. And his monster season last year of 75.9% for 13.4 ypc is the only reason he is in front of Kelce now.

 

[Iggloo]

I agree that Gonzo with Reid and Mahomes would have been crazy. We'll never know who was the better TE, but man, KC has two of the all-time greats on their Madden Ultimate teams!

 

[shopson67]

Just because I feel their names should be in the discussion somewhere.....Mike Ditka, Kellen Winslow (Sr of course)

 

[Duffman]

Gronk was a better overall TE (that is why I made sure to put the word receiving TE in the thread title)....but he wasnt the better receiving target. Personally for me Gronk is the best overall TE ever. But he wasnt a receiving TE that found a lot of space for a lot of completions like Kelce and others did. Was sick at contested catches and Brady was never shy about throwing it into tight windows. But the lack of ability to separate keeps him down a peg from some of the other great receiving TE's. But his blocking and red zone catches put him back on top for me overall.

Kelce is ridiculous for the modern era. 71.2% of the time they throw at him, it is a completion. And to still post 12.8 yards per catch with that sick completion percentage is super impressive.

Just to give you a comparison, Cooper Kupp is 72.9% for 12.5 ypc in his career. And his monster season last year of 75.9% for 13.4 ypc is the only reason he is in front of Kelce now.

Gronk having like 25 more TD’s in only what 6 more games is what makes him better. Plus he has a better YPC than Kelce. Kelce has 600 more yards and 150 more catches but only because he has like 100 more targets. Kelce is great, but the only way to stop Gronk was to take him out of the game via injury because he was that dominant.