Who’s ready for a good laugh?
Green Bay Packers tight end Andrew Quarless considers himself an elite tight end.
Yes, despite all evidence to the contrary, he actually said that.
“I can consider myself the top echelon of tight ends,” Quarless said. “That’s really where I see myself and that’s really where I’m trying to take it. A couple other guys like ‘Gronk’ and a couple guys who are up there. I put myself in that bracket. That’s definitely where I’m training to be.”
That’s right, Quarless is comparing himself to Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Why don’t we compare the two, as well? Here are their 2014 stats.
Gronk: 82 catches, 1,124 yards, 12 touchdowns.
Nice.
Quarless: 29 catches, 323 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Uhhhhhhhhh…
How about career numbers?
Gronk: 302 catches, 4,379 yards, 54 touchdowns.
Superb!
Quarless: 85 catches, 909 yards, 6 touchdowns.
Well…
And yes, those two guys have played the exact same number of seasons in the NFL — five.
If Quarless’ career numbers were instead last season’s numbers, then he might have a case for being elite. As it is, he has no case. Andrew Quarless is just a guy. And hell, maybe he’ll have a career year in 2015. It is a contract year, after all. But then he’s only a one-year wonder.
More likely in our minds, Quarless will not have a career year and will find himself playing elsewhere in 2016, if at all.
But the comparison to Gronkowski?
Not today. Probably not ever.