Shannon Sharpe was an eight-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion during his playing days. Following his retirement, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Needless to say, he knows a little bit about top talent and perhaps more specifically, what makes a legendary tight end.
That’s what makes Sharpe’s “Mount Rushmore of Tight Ends” so controversial.
On Friday, Sharpe revealed his four greatest tight ends of all time. And while an argument could be made for each player he included, there was one glaring omission.
The Mount Rushmore of Tight Ends from one of the very best to play the position 👀
Do you agree with @ShannonSharpe? (via @newheightshow) pic.twitter.com/gZ6FBfK7Wh
— NFL (@NFL) April 14, 2023
Travis Kelce, Antonio Gates, Kellen Winslow Sr. and Rob Gronkowski are undoubtedly among the best tight ends in NFL history, but where is Tony Gonzalez? Many would argue he is the greatest of all time.
Gonzalez is a 14-time Pro Bowler and 10-time All-Pro. Like Sharpe, he’s also enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Gonzalez’s accomplishments. He is the league’s all-time leader in receptions yards (15,127) and receptions (1,325) at tight end, and his 111 touchdowns are second all-time at the position.
Back in 2017, Gonzalez and Sharpe got into an intense debate over which of the two was a better tight end, so perhaps Sharpe left Gonzalez off his Mount Rushmore because he’s still a little sour over it.
Bottom line: There is no “Mount Rushmore of Tight Ends” that doesn’t include Tony Gonzalez.
