Shannon Sharpe was a modern football prototype at the tight end position stuck in the wrong era playing in the ’90s.
Then, offenses wanted to establish the run. Now, teams are running 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end) with three receivers on the field at a league-leading clip. A formation typically tipping off a pass play.
So, the context of Sharpe’s career stats certainly makes him one of the best tight ends of all time — ahem, objectively. He totaled a trio of thousand-yard-plus seasons in a four-year span. Sharpe had another season with 995 receiving yards as well. He ha a pair of 10-touchdown seasons and two more seasons with at least eight TDs. All told, Sharpe totaled 815 receptions for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns in his career.
That’s good enough for Sharpe to rank as the third-best tight end of all time, according to NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks. The two tight ends ranked ahead of Sharpe on Brooks’ list are Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski, respectively. It’s notable the latter is ranked second — and not first — but to each their own. Back to Sharpe. Brooks gives the tight end his flowers.
“As the O.G. of athletic tight ends in the modern era, Sharpe is on the Mount Rushmore of NFL players at the position,” Brooks wrote on the league’s official website. “He created mismatches on the perimeter as a jumbo wideout playing in the slot, and opponents were unable find the right combination of personnel or coverage to limit his impact. As the first tight end to amass 10,000 receiving yards in the league while also snagging 60-plus catches in nine of his final 10 seasons, Sharpe is a legend as an ultra-productive playmaker with three Super Bowl rings on the résumé.”
Earlier this offseason, Sharpe endorsed the Russell Wilson trade, saying, “Forget them picks!” Check out the rest of Brooks’ top five all-time tight ends list.
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