The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be content heading into the 2026 season with the same depth chart at tight end as a season ago. While there are minor depth changes, the key pieces remain the same, with Travis Kelce starting and Noah Gray as the primary second option. This leaves Jared Wiley, Tre Watson, and Jake Briningstool as the team's basement options at the position, pointing out an obvious weakness.
Kelce remains incredibly productive even in his later seasons and can be relied on for 700-800 yards in the 2026 season. However, there is no denying the pass catcher isn't the force he once was, with Father Time slowing Kelce's production a bit and making it important that Kansas City has a piece capable of taking pressure off the veteran and helping save his best moments for when the season matters most.
Gray obviously isn't this player coming off a season with the worst catch percentage of his career (56.7%) and offering only 178 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. Kansas City doesn't have a viable reason to believe that this is going to change, and should consider finding a reliable option they can add to the position.
Chiefs lack of tight end depth obvious area of concern as 2026 season nears
It isn't just the fact that Gray regressed as a pass catcher that makes the position such an obvious need, but also his limitations as a blocker. As much effort as the tight end might offer, his upside is expected as a pass-catching option, not someone capable of helping in protection or setting up the run game. Even if the Chiefs are content leaving the offensive load on the shoulders of an aging Kelce, it would've been ideal to bring in a second option, helping set up Kenneth Walker III in the run game.
For the Chiefs, there is still time to remedy this clear issue with potential upgrades remaining in free agency and the trade market. It would be wise to at least add a cheap blocking option that hands the team a better chance of winning in the run game and gives a fallback option if Gray continues his recent regression.
As much as fans understand the impact of Kelce, there is also the expectation that the star can no longer produce at the same level he once offered. This is after a season when the tight end finished as KC's leading receiver, speaking to just how high his ceiling has been throughout a Hall-of-Fame career.
Still, this doesn't erase the fact that the franchise has failed to add viable depth behind Kelce. It is a problem the team needs to begin to explore addressing as the sense of urgency grows heading into the summer.
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