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RotoBaller ranks the greatest tight end in NFL history for all 32 teams, breaking down the best TEs of all time for every franchise with stats, records, and legacy.
The tight-end position has never been a glamorous one, but across the history of the NFL, it has shaped how offenses win games and championships. With tight ends more involved in passing attacks than ever before, the position's importance continues to grow.
Some tight ends earned their reputations for being fearsome blockers, while some served as potent pass catchers. The GOATs were able to do both at a high level.
In this article, we'll take a look at every NFL franchise and dig into their history to find out who is their greatest tight end of all time. Some of our decisions were slam dunks, while others required deep dives. Check out our list and see if you agree with our final conclusions!
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Arizona Cardinals - Jackie Smith
Jackie Smith stands alone among Cardinal tight ends. Smith tallied 7,918 yards across 198 games. The Hall of Famer made five Pro Bowls and spent 15 of his 16 years with the "then" St. Louis Cardinals. Smith posted an impressive 16.5 yards per reception and found the back of the end zone 40 times.
Atlanta Falcons - Tony Gonzalez
Despite only tallying the third-most yards among tight ends in Atlanta history, Tony Gonzalez was the most impressive during his tenure with the team. Across just 80 games, Gonzalez tallied 4,187 yards. However, he tied Alge Crumpler (35 TDs) for the most receiving scores in 20 fewer games played. Gonzalez also holds the highest 52.3 yards per game, the highest among other Atlanta tight ends.
Baltimore Ravens - Mark Andrews
Mark Andrews has continued to add to his impressive 56 receiving touchdown total each season, as he caught 11 in 2024 and 5 in 2025. Currently, Andrews holds the franchise record for receiving yards (5,952) and receiving TDs among tight ends.
MARK ANDREWS TAKES IT HIMSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tune in on CBS pic.twitter.com/GJEbNW7ooy
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 17, 2025
Andrews has had the benefit of playing with superstar Lamar Jackson throughout his career. The 30-year-old will look to continue to add to his totals in 2026.
Buffalo Bills - Pete Metzelaars
Pete Metzelaars has the most receiving yards (2,921) and touchdowns (25) in team history at the position. Even though Metzelaars spent the first three seasons as a Settle Seahawks, he is most known for his 10-year tenure with the Bills. He tallied a career-best 485 yards during the 1986 yards.
Carolina Panthers - Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen spent nine of his 14 NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers and set a franchise record with 6,643 yards. He tallied the second-most receiving touchdowns (39), only second to Wesley Walls, who had 44. During his time in Carolina, Olsen made three straight Pro Bowls (2014-2016) and scored at least five touchdowns in five seasons.
Chicago Bears - Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka spent the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears. During his time in Chicago, he made five Pro Bowls and tallied an impressive 4,503 yards, which still stands as the most in franchise history at the position. As a Bear, he made two first-team All-Pros and three second-team All-Pro teams. Ditka would then go on to coach the Bears and lead them to two Super Bowls.
Cincinnati Bengals - Bob Trumpy
Bob Trumpy holds the most receiving yards in franchise history (4,600) and touchdowns (35) at the tight end position. Trumpy spent his entire 10-year career with the Bengals. Across 128 games, he averaged 15.4 yards per reception and 35.9 yards per game. He made four Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro roster.
Cleveland Browns - Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome spent his entire 13-yard NFL career with the Cleveland Browns. During his Hall of Fame career, Newsome qualified for three Pro Bowls, one first-team All-Pro, and became the franchise leader in tight end receiving yards (7,980) and touchdowns (47). He made four second-team All-Pro rosters and tallied at least five scores in five seasons. He also eclipsed 1,000 yards in two seasons.
Dallas Cowboys - Jason Witten
Jason Witten stands alone among Dallas Cowboys tight ends. Witten is the only tight end in Dallas history to tally at least 10,000 yards and 70 receiving touchdowns. Over his 16-year career with Dallas (he spent his last season with the Las Vegas Raiders), Witten caught 1,215 receptions with 12,977 yards and 72 TDs. He qualified for two first-team All-Pro rosters and 11 Pro Bowls.
Denver Broncos - Shannon Sharpe
The Hall of Famer spent 12 of his 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos. During this time, Sharpe established a franchise record in receiving yards (8,340) and receiving touchdowns (54). He averaged a solid 53.4 yards per game and 12.5 yards per reception. Sharpe was named to seven Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro rosters.
The best plays of Shannon Sharpe's Hall of Fame career 🍿 pic.twitter.com/GmJql18xdg
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) February 7, 2026
Detroit Lions - Charlie Sanders
Charlie Sanders played for the Detroit Lions during his entire 10-year NFL career. Sanders' 4,817 yards and 31 receiving TDs are still the highest mark at the position. Sanders qualified for the Pro Bowl in all but three seasons and was named to two first-team All-Pro teams. The Hall of Famer caught at least 40 passes in four seasons and held a strong 14.3 yards per reception.
Green Bay Packers - Paul Coffman
After not catching a pass during his rookie season, Paul Coffman went on to tally 4,223 yards and 39 receiving touchdowns across 103 games (seven seasons). Both marks still stand as the highest in team history. While Ron Kramer was more efficient on a per-game-basis (five more yards per reception), Coffman logged more than 60 starts as a Packer.
Houston Texans - Owen Daniels
Owen Daniels spent the first eight years of his NFL career with the Houston Texans. During his tenure, he went on to tally the most receiving yards in franchise history (4,617), receptions (385), and 29 receiving touchdowns (29). His yardage is almost 3,000 more than the No. 2 player in team history (Jordan Akins). He made two Pro Bowls during his time in Houston.
Indianapolis Colts - John Mackey
Even though Dallas Clark might have been more efficient as a pass-catcher, John Mackey will present the Colts on this list. The Hall of Famer played for the Colts when they were in Baltimore and tallied 5,126 yards, which is still the most in franchise history. Mackey was named to three straight first-team All-Pro rosters during 1966-1968 and five Pro Bowls.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Lewis spent the first 12 seasons of his 19-year NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. During this tenure, Lewis set the franchise record in receiving yards at the position with 4,502 yards and 33 TDs. During this stretch, Lewis averaged a modest 26.5 yards per game and was more known as a compiler, given how long he spent with the franchise. He made just one Pro Bowl.
Kansas City Chiefs - Travis Kelce
One of the greatest tight ends of all time will represent the Kansas City Chiefs. Travis Kelce has tallied an incredible 13,002 yards with 82 touchdowns. Both of these totals are the most in franchise history. Kelce qualified for 11 Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro rosters, and is a three-time Super Bowl champion.
TRAVIS KELCE RUMBLES IN FOR THE TD 🫨
(via @NFL)
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) November 17, 2025
Las Vegas Raiders - Todd Christensen
Christensen was a player ahead of his time. The do-it-all tight end was a prolific pass catcher in an era before the position was heavily featured in NFL passing attacks. Christensen consistently produced big receiving numbers in the 1980s, topping 1,000-receiving yards in three seasons, while being a valuable member of two Super Bowl-winning Silver & Black squads.
Los Angeles Chargers - Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates is one of the greatest Chargers of all time. Gates spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the Chargers. He tallied 11,841 yards on 955 receptions. He found the back of the end zone 116 times and averaged 50.2 receptions per game. He was named to three first-team All-Pro rosters and eight Pro Bowls.
Los Angeles Rams - Tyler Higbee
With all due respect to former Rams tight ends, the organization's history at the position isn't exactly prolific. Their current-day tight end, Tyler Higbee, sits atop the franchise record at this position. Across his 10-year career with the Rams, Higbee has tallied 3,949 yards, 386 receptions, and 27 TD receptions, all of which are the most in team history. Higbee was a part of their victory in Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Miami Dolphins - Bruce Hardy
Bruce Hardy spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the Miami Dolphins. During his tenure, he set the franchise record in receiving touchdowns at the position (25) but sits with the third-most receiving yards, behind Mike Gesicki and Randy McMichael. However, Hardy logged the most games as a Dolphin at this position and narrowly earned the spot on this list.
Minnesota Vikings - Steven Jordan
Steve Jordan sits with the most receiving yards at the position in team history (6,307) and the second-most touchdowns (28) behind only Kyle Rudolph, who scored 48 times. However, Jordan was much more efficient with the ball in his hands as he amassed almost four more yards per catch and just under 1,500 more total yards. Jordan was named to six Pro Bowls in 13 years.
New England Patriots - Rob Gronkowski
Without a doubt, Rob Gronkowski will represent the New England Patriots on this list. During his time in New England, he won three Super Bowls (another in Tampa Bay) with 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. He was named first-team All-Pro four times and made four Pro Bowl rosters. He was also the winner of the Comeback Player of the Year Award during the 2014 season.
2010: The Gronk Spike is born. The rest is history as they say. pic.twitter.com/REyhOaObDY
— TCL (@TitleTalkTCL) August 9, 2023
New Orleans Saints - Jimmy Graham
During his six-year tenure with the New Orleans Saints, Jimmy Graham tallied the most receiving yards (4,791 yards) and touchdowns (55) in team history at the position. During this stretch, he was named to two All-Pro teams, one first and one second, and to three Pro Bowls. He also led the league in receiving touchdowns during the 2013 season.
New York Giants - Mark Bavaro
Jeremy Shockey's receiving totals with the Giants clearly exceed Bavaro's, but we're giving the nod to the player who was a cornerstone contributor on two Super Bowl-winning Giants squads in the mid-1980s. Bavaro remains the only Giants tight end to ever exceed 1,000 receiving yards in a season (1986). He provided great toughness as a blocker, while still being one of the best pass-catching tight ends of his era.
New York Jets - Rich Caster
Like Shockey, Rich Caster does not sit at the top of the franchise record at the position but was the most efficient. Caster has the second-most receiving yards at the position (3,382) and touchdowns (26), trailing Mickey Shuler in both statistics. However, Caster averaged a much more impressive 49 yards per game and 17.8 yards per catch, both significantly higher than Shuler's outputs.
Philadelphia Eagles - Zach Ertz
During his seven-and-a-half-year tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, Zach Ertz set the franchise record in receiving yards (6,078), touchdowns (36), and receptions (561) at the position. Ertz was named to three Pro Bowls and was a part of their Super Bowl LI roster. Ertz tallied a career-best 1,163 yards during the 2018 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Heath Miller
Heath Miller sits alone when looking at tight end production in Steeler history. Miller tallied the most receiving yards (6,569) and touchdowns (45). However, he was not as efficient with the ball as he posted a modest 11.1 yards per reception and 39.1 yards per game. Miller won two Super Bowls and made two Pro Bowls.
San Francisco 49ers - George Kittle
While Vernon Davis currently has three more touchdowns during his San Fran tenure, George Kittle will represent the 49ers on this list. Consistently an elite blocker, Kittle has tallied nearly 2,500 more receiving yards than Davis. In addition, Kittle is significantly more effective with the ball in his hands. Kittle has averaged an impressive 64.6 yards per game, while Davis tallied 40.3 yards per contest.
George Kittle was a monster in the run game against the Ravens.
Shanahan postgame: “That was probably as good as of a run-blocking game in terms of how much a tight end in outside zone can move the edge setters. He dominated in that game."
📽️👇🔥 pic.twitter.com/GmHZpZzAag
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) December 3, 2019
Seattle Seahawks - Itula Mili
Itula Mili holds the second-most receiving yards (1,743) and touchdowns (13) in team history. Both of these totals were behind Jimmy Graham, who played just 43 games for the Seahawks. Mili logged 114 starts with the team. Mili eclipsed 200 receiving yards in four of his nine seasons. While Graham may have better statistics, he already represents the Saints on this list and will go down in history due to his production in New Orleans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jimmy Giles
Jimmie Giles sits atop the Tampa Bay record at the tight end position. Giles spent eight and a half of his 13-year NFL career with the Buccaneers. During this stint, he tallied 4,122 yards on 261 receptions. He found the back of the end zone 33 times, which tied alongside Cameron Brate for the most in team history. Giles was named to four Pro Bowls during his time in Tampa Bay.
Tennessee Titans - Delanie Walker
Despite sitting second among Tennessee Titans in total yardage, Walker was the most efficient pass catcher in their team history. Walker tallied 4,423 yards, which was just behind Frank Wycheck, who caught 4,958 yards. However, Walker played in 53 fewer games. He averaged an impressive 52.7 yards per game and 11.6 yards per reception, which were both higher than Wycheck.
Washington Commanders - Jerry Smith
Jerry Smith caught the most yards and touchdowns in team history at the position but fell short in receptions, as Chris Cooley holds that record. Across 155 games (13 years), Smith tallied 4,870 yards and 54 TDs. During his time in Washington, he was named to one first-team All-Pro roster during the 1969 season. He was also named to two Pro Bowl rosters.
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