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The quarterback position gets most of the spotlight and credit for team success in the NFL -- rightfully so. However, game-changing wide receivers and tight ends certainly make things easier for even high-end signal-callers, so that should not get lost in the grand scheme of things. Every Batman needs his Robin.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have been the most dominant pairing in recent seasons, but where do they stack up among all duos in the 21st century? We'll examine that question in this article.
Postseason success will be heavily considered with these selections, but there are a few quarterback-pass-catcher tandems that built most of their resumes in the regular season, so they'll be included. Without further ado, let's dive into the Best NFL Duos Of The 21st Century.
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Honorable Mentions
- Aaron Rodgers/Jordy Nelson - Packers
- Kurt Warner/Torry Holt - Rams
- Matthew Stafford/Calvin Johnson - Lions
- Tom Brady/Julian Edelman - Patriots
- Aaron Rodgers/Davante Adams - Packers
- Daunte Culpepper/Randy Moss - Vikings
- Drew Brees/Jimmy Graham - Saints
7. Matt Ryan/Julio Jones - Falcons
Stats: 838 receptions, 12,744 yards, and 61 touchdowns (134 games)
Playoff Wins: Four
Super Bowl Wins: N/A
Matt Ryan was never viewed as a clear-cut elite quarterback, but he did win an MVP in 2015, and his connection with Julio Jones was underrated among other duos. Jones was an athletic freak in his prime, while Ryan was surgical and loved to throw the deep ball. Jones was named to seven Pro Bowls during his time as a Falcon.
Unfortunately, this tandem failed to hold on and win Super Bowl LI. If the Falcons had beaten Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on the biggest stage in the sport, both players' legacies would be viewed in a brighter light. Instead, their connection is nothing more than one of the best regular-season pairings of a generation. They won just four playoff games in 10 seasons together.
TO THE HOUSE.@JulioJones_11 sprints for the 54-yard TD! @AtlantaFalcons lead! #InBrotherhood
📺: #PHIvsATL on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch on mobile: https://t.co/Pa6E6lQGVa pic.twitter.com/PC4zJIQSek— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2019
6. Peyton Manning/Reggie Wayne - Colts
Stats: 787 receptions, 10,748 yards, and 69 touchdowns (157 games)
Playoff Wins: Nine
Super Bowl Wins: One
Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and he did a lot of his damage with two wideouts in Indianapolis. Reggie Wayne posted at least 1,000 receiving yards in seven straight seasons (2004-2010) with the Sheriff distributing the ball. The two combined for 13 Pro Bowl selections in their overlapping careers, and Wayne and Marvin Harrison were both adequate No. 1 wide receivers.
Their best moment together was a 53-yard strike for a touchdown in the Super Bowl XLI victory over the Chicago Bears. Manning was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but Wayne was surprisingly not. He might have to wait his turn, but he'll be enshrined in Canton eventually.
Flashback Friday: 2007 Pro Bowl@Colts pic.twitter.com/4sCJTVqjSc
— Reggie Wayne (@ReggieWayne_17) January 24, 2020
5. Philip Rivers/Antonio Gates - Chargers
Stats: 774 receptions, 9,543 yards, and 95 touchdowns (194 games)
Playoff Wins: Five
Super Bowl Wins: N/A
The lack of postseason success leaves Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates at the No. 5 spot, but especially in the red zone, this tandem was unstoppable. Gates caught at least seven touchdowns in nine seasons with Rivers, and he led all tight ends in receiving scores three times in their 13 years together.
Throughout the history of the NFL, only two tight ends have had at least 100 receiving touchdowns. Those two men are Tony Gonzalez (111) and Gates (116). Gates also has the third-most receiving yards in a career among tight ends, so the fact that he wasn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer is questionable, to say the least. They had 14 combined Pro Bowl invitations as teammates, but again, the lack of team success has led to them being underrated in the conversation of all-time duos.
With this touchdown, Antonio Gates now has the most TDs for a tight end in NFL history! 1️⃣1️⃣2️⃣ #MIAvsLAC pic.twitter.com/xSVJMbr9m6
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 17, 2017
4. Ben Roethlisberger/Antonio Brown - Steelers
Stats: 804 receptions, 10,768 yards, and 78 touchdowns (120 games)
Playoff Wins: Five
Super Bowl Wins: N/A
Antonio Brown's recent strange behavior has somewhat overshadowed his excellent career, but he was arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL for a five or six-year stretch. On the receiving end of Big Ben's passes, Brown posted six consecutive seasons of at least 100 receptions and 1,200 receiving yards from 2013 to 2018. He went over the 1,490-yard mark four times. The team didn't get over the hump and win a Super Bowl while these two were rolling, and their run came to an end when Brown requested a trade following the 2018 campaign.
If No. 7 and No. 84 could have stuck together for another few seasons, the overall statistics would have likely been mind-blowing. At their best, this connection rivaled any regular season pairing since 2000.
Ben Roethisberger throws a 41 yard touchdown to Antonio Brown on the free play! #TENvsPIT pic.twitter.com/ke1OZ1hQxf
— NFL Updates (@NFLFastUpdates) November 17, 2017
3. Peyton Manning/Marvin Harrison - Colts
Stats: 965 receptions, 12,878 yards, and 114 touchdowns (158 games)
Playoff Wins: Seven
Super Bowl Wins: One
Marvin Harrison, a first-round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, posted at least 750 yards in each of his first three seasons. Those were respectable numbers, but when 1998 No. 1 overall pick Peyton Manning came into his own in 1999, Harrison truly began his Hall of Fame career. Harrison caught 115 passes and led the league in receiving yards (1,663) in 1999, foreshadowing what this dominant duo would do in Indianapolis moving forward.
From 1999 to 2006 (eight seasons), Harrison caught no fewer than 10 touchdowns in a campaign. Over that stretch, he averaged 103.3 receptions, 1,402.4 receiving yards, and 12.6 touchdowns. Before the next two pairs on this list came around, Manning and Harrison were clearly the best tandem of the century.
People really forget how good Marvin Harrison Sr. was 😱
(via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/2RcNuDLKUl
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) January 6, 2024
2. Patrick Mahomes/Travis Kelce - Chiefs
Stats: 589 receptions, 7,303 yards, and 53 touchdowns (93 games)
Playoff Wins: 15 (so far)
Super Bowl Wins: Three
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce form the hottest current duo in the NFL, and they're looking to become the top pair with more postseason success. In six seasons with Mahomes at QB, the Chiefs have never failed to reach the AFC Championship Game. The franchise has played in four Super Bowls over the last five seasons, winning three.
Mahomes has the highest passer rating in NFL playoff history (105.8), while Kelce has the most playoff receptions (165). Jerry Rice is a whopping 14 receptions behind him, and Kelce could have two or three more playoff runs to pad his lead.
It will be interesting to see who becomes Mahomes' next go-to guy when Kelce does hang it up, but until that happens, the league should continue to be terrified of this elite connection.
MAHOMES TO KELCE. 17th TIME IN THE PLAYOFFS.
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/Icli7WxL5A— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
1. Tom Brady/Rob Gronkowski - Patriots/Buccaneers
Stats: 620 receptions, 9,275 yards, and 93 touchdowns (141 games)
Playoff Wins: 21
Super Bowl Wins: Four
Tom Brady is recognized as the greatest NFL player of all time, and Rob Gronkowski became a go-to target for him as soon as he entered the league in 2010. As a rookie, Gronk caught 10 touchdowns. He followed it up with 17 touchdowns in 2011, a single-season record for tight ends. Gronk was an elite run blocker and red zone threat. If he had played a few more seasons, he could've added to his already ridiculous resume.
In nine of Gronkowski's 11 years in the NFL, his team made it to at least the conference championship round.
This duo is first on the list because their success was continued with Tampa Bay, the franchise with the worst winning percentage in NFL history (40.6%). As a final statement, these two defeated Mahomes and Kelce head-to-head in an AFC Championship and Super Bowl. That said, the Chiefs' tandem will likely need to pass them in Super Bowl wins to pass them on this list.
This pass!
THIS CATCH!Brady and Gronk looking GOOD.
📺: #SBLIII on CBS pic.twitter.com/LJjHpUNVMj
— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2019
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