No one is going to debate that recently retired New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is worthy of Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in the near future. The argument is whether Gronkowski should be inducted as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Patriots safety Devin McCourty voiced his support for Gronk as a first-ballot guy on Twitter, and we would bet other players feel the same way.
If there's one stat that really shows Gronkowski's impressive value, it's probably wins above replacement, often referred to as WAR. Gronk leads all tight ends since 2006, according to Pro Football Focus.
Gronkowski tallied 521 receptions, 7,861 receiving yards and 79 receiving touchdowns in 115 games over nine seasons, in addition to 81 receptions for 1,163 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in 14 career playoff games. He also won three Super Bowl titles and was named to the NFL's All-Pro first team four times.
When you add Gronkowski's elite blocking ability to his fantastic regular season and playoff stats, you have a résumé absolutely worthy of first-ballot Hall of Fame status. Few players have been more dominant at their position than Gronkowski was at tight end for nine seasons.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.