Tale of the Tape: Travis Kelce versus Rob Gronkowski

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Eagles defeated the Patriots 41-33. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Injuries

Gronkowski’s career has been filled with injuries. Travis Kelce tore knee cartilage and missed his rookie season. He also had two concussions, but that is a fraction of what Rob Gronkowski has endured. Gronk has sustained six injuries that have forced him to miss time, not including concussions. He is simply not durable.

Kelce is not immune to injury, but in today’s NFL, durablity is incredibly important for success. Kelce has been on the field more than Rob Gronkowski in the last several seasons, making the offense work at its highest function. There is a reason that Gronk contemplated retirement. It was not because the Patriots were not winning, it was because he has had trouble staying on the field.

The Measurables

Some of this information may be a bit dated. I will be using combine and pro day stats which both players are long removed from, but it will give an idea of how athletic each player is.

Rob Gronkowski (6’6, 264 lbs.)

40 time: 4.68
Bench Press: 23 reps of 225
Vertical: 33 1/2″
20 yard shuttle: 4.47

Travis Kelce (6’5, 260 lbs.)

40 time: 4.61
Bench Press:N/A (Did not participate in combine)
Vertical: 35
20 yard shuttle: 4.42

This truly shows the athleticism of these two great players. Kelce is a quicker player, but Gronkowski is definitely not far behind with a little more size. However, if we are looking at sheer athleticism, I believe that Travis Kelce is the more gifted athlete. The Chiefs opt to use Kelce as a slot receiver for this reason.

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