Lost in the frustration of underachieving star players and coaching frustrations has been a regression from Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray. There was a time when the backup appeared to be a great second option behind Travis Kelce and capable of consistently taking on a heavier load. However, the 2025 season has drastically changed this with Gray regressing, offering only 146 receiving yards on 17 catches so far this season while seeing his yards per reception drop from 10.9 in back-to-back years to 8.6.
This speaks to a lack of explosiveness and an inability to consistently convert his chances. Gray is only catching 54.8% of his targets compared to 81.6% in the 2024 season, making him untrustworthy for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. As the Chiefs enter a needed reset, there simply isn't a reason to retain a player who hasn't shown up when the games mattered most and is clearly regressing in the wrong direction.
Noah Gray Is Giving Chiefs Every Reason to Break Up with Him
With Kelce clearly showing his age in what is expected to be the legend's final season, there was ample opportunity for Gray to make a case to be the team's next starter. Instead, Gray not only failed to make this case, but also left reason for the Chiefs to move on from a piece that contributed to this season's failures.
Gray has two years remaining on his contract; however, a potential trade or cut in the offseason gives the Chiefs plenty of reasons to consider a split. Here's the breakdown, courtesy of Spotrac:
Transaction Type | Dead Cap Money | Salary Cap Savings |
|---|---|---|
Pre-June 1 Cut/Trade | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 |
Post-June 1 Cut/Trade | $1,500,000 | $5,500,000 |
Whether it's a cut or trade, this appears to be the path that the Chiefs are taking. General manager Brett Veach can not only use that freed-up space to flesh out other areas of the roster, but also to find another tight end — either through the draft, free agency, or trade — who can contribute more efficiently than Gray has.
Failing so spectacularly this season demands that Kansas City approach this upcoming offseason with a decided sense of urgency. Players like Gray, who didn't live up to their contracts or expectations, must be cut and new pieces brought in to breathe life into what has become a stale roster. That's especially true when the Chiefs are projected to be more than $35 million over next year's cap, per Spotrac, meaning any potential savings would be huge.
Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid should be the only pieces considered truly untouchable, with every other player and coach being considered in danger of losing their role. If Kansas City wants to keep the dynasty alive and return a better version of themselves in the 2026 season, this is the outlook they must adopt, and one that is obviously going to jettison Gray after an underwhelming year.