"He doesn't even block" - Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce? NFL fans engage in heated debate over battle of elite TEs

Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce are arguably the most outstanding tight ends in NFL history. Both are 32 years old, but Gronkowski came into the league three years before Kelce. In their respective tenures in the NFL, they've revolutionized their position with receiving abilities almost unseen before in tight ends.

Both players are still contributors to their teams and had excellent 2021 campaigns. But with both players creeping up in age, NFLUK's Twitter account posed a question in a tweet on Thursday that sparked debate amongst NFL fans. They asked which of Gronkowski and Kelce was better in their prime.

One fan's vote was majorly in favor of Rob Gronkowski. They believe a tight end requires receiving and blocking, and Gronkowski excels at both. Meanwhile, Kelce is better known for his receiving prowess than his blocking.

The fan also said that Tony Gonzales is ahead of Kelce. Gonzales was a spectacular blocker in addition to his receiving abilities.

"KELCE CAN NOT BLOCK... Therefore, not a top TE. Great pase catcher, but only does half the TE job well... How much stats did Gronk sacrifice by blocking? ...Besides, Tony Gonzalez is definitely ahead of Kelce as well," the fan wrote.

NFL reporter Dov Kleiman sees the question from multiple angles. Kelce's played just 16 games less than Gronkowski despite coming into the league three years later. That gave Kelce the edge in durability.

But Kleiman sided with the New England Patriots legend as peak Gronkowski made four first-team All-Pro selections.

Scott Mahurin sided with Kelce in this debate. Mahurin brought up the fact that Kelce's rookie season ended in the first game with an injury. They believe Kelce's rookie season could've been impressive had he not suffered a hairline fracture.

Another fan gave Kelce his respect for being a great slot receiver. But they sided with Rob Gronkowski's versatility and lack of flaws in his game when he was in his prime.

That's an understandable take, given Gronkowski scored double-digit touchdowns in five of his first six seasons.

Gronkowski received another vote from a user who believes Kelce's lack of blocking is the deciding factor in the debate.

Rob Gronkowski continued to receive love from fans in this debate. One Twitter user said that while Gronkowski was healthy, he was the best tight end they'd ever seen.

His durability is one of the few knocks against him, as he missed 29 games in his 20s. But that wasn't enough for this user to side with Kelce.

An important thing to consider is the quarterbacks the tight ends have played for in their careers. Kelce played for Matt Cassell and Alex Smith before Patrick Mahomes took over in 2018.

Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski played with Tom Brady every season of his career. Kelce was able to have 1,000-yard seasons before Mahomes was his quarterback. That fact helped Janely Joey side with Kelce in this debate.

Bernard Oliver cited Kelce's deficit in career touchdowns in comparison to Gronkowski. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end has lost just three fumbles in his career, compared to Kelce's 11. Oliver voted for Gronkowski.

Both tight ends revolutionized the game of football. But one Twitter user believes Kelce fits this generation's model of a tight end better and is more responsible for revolutionizing the game than Rob Gronkowski.

In the end, Brad Jennings was neutral in the debate but brought up a good point not many else shared online. He notes that Kelce's scheme under Andy Reid causes him to be a receiver more than a blocker.

He claims that just because Kelce's strengths are receiving doesn't mean he's unable to block if needed.

Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce transformed the NFL

Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce at Super Bowl LV

The debate over who between Rob Gronkowski and Kelce was better in his prime will be debated for decades to come. Both sides will have their supporters, but there's no question both players will be in the Hall of Fame someday.

Tony Gonzales was the first to put the idea of tight ends being used regularly in the receiving game on the map. Both Gronkowski and Kelce took the ball and ran with it.

It's hard to imagine the NFL without these influential players. While the debate is healthy and fair, we should be grateful to have witnessed their greatness.