Much of the concern around the Kansas City Chiefs tight end room this summer has not been on Travis Kelce. Despite the veteran continuing to age, he is still good enough to offer 700-800 yards in a good offense. Behind him, it semeed like the team has next to nobody, especially with Noah Gray's poor performance and no clear third option.
Gray had the worst catch percentage of his career in the 2025 season (56.8%), offering only 178 receiving yards and not catching a single touchdown. This was a year after a career-best season of 437 receiving yards and five touchdowns, as an important part of a team that would win the AFC and go to a third straight Super Bowl.
Fast forward a year later, and Gray appeared overmatched and lost within the KC offense. Now, the pressure has never been higher for the tight end to prove last year was the outlier and be able to contribute at the expected level. It isn't just about Patrick Mahomes and taking pressure off the franchise star as he comes off injury, but who Gray is backing up.
Kelce is 36 years old and has openly flirted with retirement each of the past two years. The Chiefs understand they can no longer ask Kelce to shoulder the load he once did. Gray must be part of the solution to this problem, and the Chiefs signaled a strong level of belief that Gray will be just that by rostering the veteran without making another notable move to the position.
Chiefs need Noah Gray to prove last season's struggles are in the past
Another piece of the puzzle here is the fact that the receiver depth chart is in question. Kansas City doesn't have one pass catcher on its roster not facing some form of concern. From WR1 Rashee Rice to the final spot at the position, there is no shortage of potential concerns. Gray being able to offer 300-400 yards and a handful of touchdown catches goes a long way in easing the pressure on Kelce and the team's depth receivers.
Gray may not be a star or capable of putting up gaudy numbers, but the tight end is an underrated piece of the 2026 season. For the Chiefs to be the best version of themselves, Gray is going to have to turn back the clock to the player he was two seasons ago.
Everything about Kansas City's coaching changes and the high confidence they have shown in the veteran projects suggests that this will be the case. Still, fans need to see this realized after an undeniably frustrating year and a quiet 2026 camp, as we are now only days away from the regular season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google