If you like elite tight ends, this is a good Super Bowl for you. Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski are two of the best to ever play the position.
Kelce has caught 305 passes in the last three seasons, including two years with double-digit touchdowns. Gronkowski isn’t the difference maker he’s been in the past, but he’s got more dominant seasons on his resume. And Gronk is still a viable player.
In the last 20 years, 22 tight ends have averaged at least 16 points per game (using PPR scoring). Kelce and Gronk have authored almost half of those seasons – six for Gronkowski and three for Kelce.
On the Super Bowl prop bets, the over-under on Kelce is set at 7.5 catches. That’s a big number, but I would take the over. He’s really good, and their using him more now than they were early in the season.
Kelce has caught only 3-6 passes in five games, and those all came in the first seven weeks of the season. Since that time, he’s caught at least 8 passes in nine of his last 10 games. He caught 7 passes for 98 yards against Atlanta, but at least 8 receptions in his last nine other games.
PER-GAME TIGHT ENDS (last 20 years) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | G | No | Yards | TD | PPR |
2020 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 15 | 7.0 | 94.4 | .73 | 21.0 |
2011 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 16 | 5.6 | 82.9 | 1.13 | 20.7 |
2013 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 16 | 5.4 | 75.9 | 1.00 | 19.0 |
2010 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 10 | 5.0 | 78.2 | 1.00 | 18.8 |
2018 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 16 | 6.4 | 83.5 | .63 | 18.5 |
2011 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 16 | 6.2 | 81.9 | .69 | 18.5 |
2012 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 11 | 5.0 | 71.8 | 1.00 | 18.2 |
2014 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 15 | 5.5 | 74.9 | .80 | 17.8 |
2015 | Jordan Reed, Was. | 14 | 6.2 | 68.0 | .79 | 17.7 |
2020 | Darren Waller, L.V. | 16 | 6.7 | 74.8 | .56 | 17.7 |
2018 | Zach Ertz, Phil. | 16 | 7.3 | 72.7 | .50 | 17.5 |
2013 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 7 | 5.6 | 84.6 | .57 | 17.5 |
2005 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 15 | 5.9 | 73.4 | .67 | 17.3 |
2015 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 15 | 4.8 | 78.4 | .73 | 17.0 |
2004 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 15 | 5.4 | 64.3 | .87 | 17.0 |
2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 16 | 6.3 | 69.1 | .63 | 17.0 |
2004 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 16 | 6.4 | 78.6 | .44 | 16.9 |
2008 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 16 | 6.0 | 66.1 | .63 | 16.4 |
2015 | Delanie Walker, Ten. | 15 | 6.3 | 72.5 | .40 | 16.3 |
2017 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 14 | 4.9 | 77.4 | .57 | 16.2 |
2018 | George Kittle, S.F. | 16 | 5.5 | 86.1 | .31 | 16.2 |
2019 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 16 | 6.1 | 76.8 | .38 | 16.0 |
—Ian Allan