Whether clearing space for the ground-based attacks of the early days or carving out room in the middle of the field for the air-centric 2000s, tight end has been an important piece of the NFL’s most prolific offenses. A position tasked with blocking at the line of scrimmage and escaping upfield to create bigger gains requires gifted athletes who combine speed and size and don’t mind doing a little dirty work in the trenches.
Some franchises have had multiple Hall of Fame talents walk through the home tunnel and onto their turf. Others have cycled through short-term rentals while devoting their offensive focus elsewhere. That becomes pretty apparent when you cycle through our list of the best tight ends to play for all 32 NFL franchises.
In some cases, recent expansion status meant a player with meager Pro Bowl bonafides and no chance at a Hall of Fame invite got the call. In others, decades upon decades of history failed to turn up long-term difference makers at the position.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the haves and have-nots when it comes to elite tight end play. These are the best NFL tight ends in franchise history for all 32 teams.
Arizona Cardinals: Jackie Smith
Smith was a workhorse first and foremost; a player who put in nearly 200 games with the Cardinals despite playing a demanding position at a time where cigarettes were a staple of the trainer’s room. But he was occasionally prolific; his 1,205 receiving yards in 1967 were a league record for tight ends at the time (and, somehow, failed to result in All-Pro honors). He was also a rock solid blocker and, because it was the 1960s, served as the team’s primary punter for three seasons. Pretty good for a guy who only played football in college to beef up a track and field scholarship.
Atlanta Falcons: Tony Gonzalez
Is this a hedge to make me feel better about giving Travis Kelce the top spot for the Kansas City Chiefs? A little! But while Gonzalez’s time in Atlanta was brief he made an undeniable impact in the second act of his career. His 4,187 receiving yards are fewer than 200 away from the franchise record at the position — impressive, given he spent just five seasons (his final five seasons!) in red and black. Kyle Pitts has the potential to bump him from this tenuous perch, but for now the Hall of Famer reigns in Georgia.
Baltimore Ravens: Mark Andrews
With apologies to Todd Heap, Andrews’ usage — and the Ravens’ lack of viable targets around him — has thrust him into a greater role and put him in position to finish his career as the team’s all-time leading tight end by a significant margin. Since 2019, he’s averaging eight touchdown catches per 17-game season and just under 1,050 yards. Andrews is a useful blocker (albeit with room still to grow) but he’s more of a hybrid WR1 capable of creating space against double coverage and making tough catches in traffic.
Buffalo Bills: Pete Metzelaars
Buffalo hasn’t had much in the way of receiving production at tight end. Scott Chandler ranks third on the team’s all-time yardage list at the position. Metzelaars is No. 1, having emerged as a useful safety valve target but, more importantly, a vital piece of the blocking effort that allowed Thurman Thomas to have a Hall of Fame career. He played in 77 games from 1990 to 1993, making an appearance in every step of the franchise’s run to four straight Super Bowls.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this list accidentally omitted the Bills. That’s been corrected. Obviously.
Carolina Panthers: Greg Olsen
Olsen ascended to greatness after leaving Chicago (where he was still pretty good), putting together a beautiful five-year stretch in which he started all 80 games and hauled in nearly 5,000 yards worth of catches. Not coincidentally, this resulted in two of the best seasons in franchise history, three playoff berths and a trip to Super Bowl 50. Injuries derailed his career after that, but his second act as a broadcaster has helped preserve his place in the game.
Chicago Bears: Mike Ditka
One of the most iconic figures in franchise history both on the field and on the sideline. Ditka was responsible for the three most productive seasons a tight end had ever had by 1964 … and he’d only spent four years in the league. His receiving impact waned from “incredible” to merely “very good” in the seasons that followed, but his influence reverberated for decades to come. Ditka made tight end a true weapon rather than an extra blocker. And then he did alright as a head coach, too.
Cincinnati Bengals: Bob Trumpy
Trumpy was a mismatch machine, a 6-foot-6 field-stretcher who averaged nearly 23 yards per catch in his breakthrough All-Pro 1969 campaign. While he wouldn’t hit those heights again, he was a four-time Pro Bowler who helped pull the Bengals up from AFL infancy to a consistent NFL winner — even if he’s the rare player who actually have negative receiving yardage in the postseason (-7 yards on a single catch in three games).
Cleveland Browns: Ozzie Newsome
When Newsome retired in 1990, he had 121 more catches than any other tight end in NFL history. He still has 276 more receptions than anyone else in Browns history. Cleveland made the postseason seven times in his 13 years on the field. It’s been back only thrice in the 29 seasons since. Over that stretch, he earned a pair of Super Bowl rings designing the roster of the team who stole the Browns from Ohio for five seasons — the Baltimore Ravens.
Dallas Cowboys: Jason Witten
A terrible broadcaster and a genuinely great tight end. Witten missed only one game in his 17-year career — excepting the 2018 season in which he was briefly retired — and it was way back in his 2003 debut. In the 14 seasons that followed he averaged roughly 80 catches per year as a steady receiving option for everyone from Vinny Testaverde to Dak Prescott. He’s got nearly 500 more receptions than second place Michael Irvin on the franchise leaderboard.
Denver Broncos: Shannon Sharpe
Before he memed himself to oblivion via pointless argument, Sharpe was a testament to the Broncos’ internal development. The former seventh-round pick out of Savannah State needed time to find his footing, then torched NFL defenses as a field-stretching target. As a result, Denver earned its first two Super Bowl wins. He’d later add a third ring with the Baltimore Ravens, then wrapped his career with a mid-30s return to Colorado — one that saw him retain his status as one of the league’s most efficient tight ends more than an decade into his career.
Detroit Lions: Charlie Sanders
“Charlie Deep” made an immediate impact as a third round pick, earning the first of seven Pro Bowl honors as a rookie. His receiving numbers were never prolific in the ground-based offenses of the 1970s, but Sanders was occasionally devastating up the seam and averaged better than 14 yards per catch in those low-impact passing games. He was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame in 2007.
Green Bay Packers: Ron Kramer
The Packers’ early glory days featured a tight end nicknamed “the Big Oaf,” which is delightful. Kramer was a two-time All-Pro who had a pair of touchdown receptions in the team’s 1961 NFL Championship Game win over the New York Giants. His blocking helped pave the way for a perennial top-two offense and helped make a small town Wisconsin franchise a household name.
Houston Texans: Owen Daniels
Look, there’s not a lot of meat on the Texans’ bones after 22 seasons of existence. The team’s fourth place receiving leader is Kevin Walter. But in third is Daniels, who was steady and solid (when healthy) across eight seasons with the team. He had more receiving yards in 2008 (862) than he did in his entire University of Wisconsin career.
Indianapolis Colts: John Mackey
Dallas Clark would be the choice if we were limited to the franchise’s Indianapolis era only. But Mackey was a stud for Johnny Unitas’ Baltimore teams, earning as many Super Bowl rings (one) as his more recent comparison and significantly more Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. Mackey’s 75-yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl V helped the Colts topple the Dallas Cowboys and wash the lingering bad taste of their Super Bowl III loss to the New York Jets. That belied his playmaking ability; he averaged 16 yards per catch as a Colt.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Marcedes Lewis
Lewis only had one great (OK, pretty good) season, but his longevity left him as one of the top three most prolific pass-catchers in Jaguars team history. While at his best, the 267-pound human eclipse was a viable red zone threat, his true value lay in his ability to seal off running lanes and flatten linebackers on the second level. Lewis was rarely sexy, but he was always useful.
Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce
Tony Gonzalez is the franchise leader in career receiving yards, but he’s one season away from getting eclipsed by Kelce — who also has 122 more playoff catches than his legendary comparison. Since 2014, the future Hall of Famer’s average season consists of more than 90 receptions and 1,150 receiving yards. His age 33 season saw Tyreek Hill plucked from his receiving corps and more double teams; Kelce responded with an even better 2022 than his previous campaign and ended with a Super Bowl win. That’s superhero stuff.
Las Vegas Raiders: Todd Christiansen
Christiansen didn’t want to be a tight end; he was a fullback who moved to the position when it seemed to be the only way he could make an impact in the league. This was the right decision. He racked up nearly 4,400 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns from 1983 to 1986, earning All-Pro honors each season and a Super Bowl ring. His peak was short, but hoooo buddy it was up there.
Los Angeles Chargers: Kellen Winslow
Is your pick Antonio Gates? Fair enough; Gates was a five-time All-Pro and likely Hall of Fame bound. But Winslow wasn’t just a tight end; he was the heart of the Chargers offense who twice led the league in catches. He was an icon, the image of him being helped off the field following the Epic in Miami — after 166 receiving yards and a game-saving field goal block — is the kind of hagiography the NFL loves to cast for itself.
Los Angeles Rams: ... Tyler Higbee?
The Rams have been around for nearly 90 years and gone without a high impact, long-term tight end. To wit; the team’s receptions and receiving yardage leader at the position is Higbee and in third place is … Lance Kendricks. So, yeah. Take your pick of guys you may have streamed in fantasy but not cared enough to draft. That’s sort of LA’s thing.
Miami Dolphins: Ferrell Edmunds
The Dolphins are in a similar boat; their top three most productive tight ends are Randy McMichael, Mike Gesicki and Bruce Hardy. Edmunds made a pair of Pro Bowls — in seasons where he had 63 combined receptions — so sure, Terrell, Trey and Tremaine’s dad gets the nod. His career was so epic, USA Today doesn’t have any file photos of him in a Miami uniform, so the Seahawks were the best we could do.
Minnesota Vikings: Steve Jordan
Jordan emerged from the Ivy League to become a six-time Pro Bowler in the midst of multiple top 10 Minnesota offenses. The Brown graduate and seventh-round pick put together a decade of solid seasons as a starter, helping buoy a roster that made the postseason six times in his final eight years. He was a leader on the field and, importantly, took part in a vignette with pro wrestling’s own Mr. Perfect.
New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski
One of the greatest two-way tight ends in NFL history. Gronk was a mismatch machine in the passing game and a devastator when it came to flattening linebackers on running plays. No one was more reliable when the Patriots (or Buccaneers) needed a clutch catch. Gronkowski averaged more catches and receiving yards per game in the playoffs than the regular season, which goes a long way to explaining his four Super Bowl rings.
New Orleans Saints: Jimmy Graham
The Saints took a third-round risk on a college basketball player with only one year of on-field experience at Miami and dug up an All-Pro tight end. Graham set career highs of 99 catches and 1,310 yards in just his second season in the league, proving his athleticism could translate from the hardwood to the highest levels of the gridiron. While he only lasted five years with New Orleans, his 51 receiving touchdowns are second-most in franchise history.
New York Giants: Mark Bavaro
Bavaro only lasted six seasons as a Giant, but that limited stretch included two All-Pro honors and two Super Bowl rings. The beefy tight end earned MVP votes for his 1,001-yard 1986 season and was more productive in New York’s postseason runs (3.8 catches per game) than in the regular season (2.8).
New York Jets: Rich Caster
There are several tight ends who reached the troposphere of pretty-goodness over long careers in New York. Mickey Shuler and Jerome Barkum certainly qualify. But Caster’s three Pro Bowl nods are the most among that group and he led all NFL tight ends in receiving yards in three separate seasons from 1972 to 1975. Plus his son is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in AEW, so … not bad.
Philadelphia Eagles: Pete Retzlaff
Retzlaff came into the NFL as a fullback and spent time at flanker before sliding back to the hashmarks as a tight end. The transition paid off; he retired as the Eagles’ all-time leader in catches and receiving yards and still ranks among the top three in both categories. His 1,190 yards in 1965 were an NFL record at tight end and still clocks in as a top 20 all-time mark despite the rising tide of passing offenses across the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Heath Miller
Only one tight end cracks the top 40 when it comes to single-season receptions in Steelers’ history; that’s Miller, who shows up twice. Pittsburgh’s ability to coach up wideouts hasn’t translated on a 1:1 basis with its tight ends, leaving Miller the best pass-catching option in a group historically known for its blocking. Miller’s span in the steel city covered 11 seasons, two Pro Bowls and a pair of Super Bowl wins. His consistency and availability helped power the offense around him for a franchise that went 111-65 through his tenure.
San Francisco 49ers: Brent Jones
Jones was on the roster when the Niners were at their most terrifying, providing stable production whether it was Joe Montana or Steve Young behind center. He had three touchdown catches in the team’s 1989 Super Bowl run as Montana ran up the score on helpless opponents, then 10 catches over three games as Young did the same in 1994. He wasn’t as memorable as his quarterbacks or the wideouts around him, but he was certainly valuable.
Seattle Seahawks: Jimmy Graham
Graham played three seasons with Seattle and has two of the team’s top three most productive seasons at tight end. He’s also the team’s only tight end to be named to the Pro Bowl, a feat he accomplished twice. So thanks to low expectations — and the fact he’s the only player at his position to sit in the Seahawks’ top 20 when it comes to receptions — Graham gets to double-dip on our list.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jimmie Giles
Giles helped the Bucs rise from under-funded expansion team to surprise playoff presence early in their lifespan, emerging as a valuable target for Doug Williams (and later Steve DeBerg). He was a four-time Pro Bowler, become the franchise’s first offensive player to earn an invite. He’s also a member of the team’s ring of honor — one of only seven former Tampa Bay players to be enshrined.
Tennessee Titans: Frank Wycheck
Sure, he was a multiple-time Pro Bowler who even earned All-Pro honors over the course of nine seasons in Houston, then Nashville. But we’ll all remember him as the second link in the Music City Miracle. On offense, he was a throwback wide-bodied tight end who could clear space in the running game or drag defenders upfield as a short and medium-range target.
Washington Commanders: Jerry Smith
Smith was one of the original red zone specialists; his 60 career touchdowns were an NFL record for tight ends when he retired in 1977. He was a two-time All-Pro who missed out on the franchise’s glory days, but still teamed with Charley Taylor to give Washington the chops to be a consistent winner at a time when passing offenses were becoming more and more important.
