One of the more surprising choices the Kansas City Chiefs made in the 2026 offseason was failing to bring in proven tight end depth. Travis Kelce appeared to make his return clear as soon as the season ended, but this didn't take away the obvious need to bring in someone for the team to lean on in the regular season. Keeping Kelce fresh for when the season matters most is a clear area of focus, with the Hall of Fame tight end still having the utmost trust from Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid in a potential playoff run.
Still, the Chiefs have shown a shocking level of faith in Noah Gray as he remains the team's primary backup option. What makes this a bit surprising is the results from a season ago when Rashee Rice was suspended and Xavier Worthy missed time with injury. Kansas City badly needed a surprise contributor to step up, and Gray responded by putting up the worst catch percentage of his career (56.8%) and offering just 178 receiving yards.
This is less than half of his production in 2024, showing the Chiefs that there were warning signs regarding Gray heading into this offseason. It seemed very possible that the front office would opt to cut the 27-year-old and open up cap space to bring in a more consistent option.
Chiefs continue to demonstrate concerning level of trust in TE Noah Gray
Instead, the Chiefs have doubled down on the belief that last year was the outlier and Gray can be the needed presence to take pressure off Kelce at the position. Considering how crowded the tight end free agency market appeared to be at the start of the offseason, it's a bit of a surprise that this is the stance the franchise chose.
Still, there is a chance we see a surprise trade with Kyle Pitts playing on a franchise tag or perhaps a surprise target taking pressure off Kelce. If the Chiefs had a bit more stability at receiver, it would be understandable to bet so heavily on Gray. Something that isn't the case with Tyquan Thornton and Xavier Worthy, yet to put together a full, consistent season, and Rashee Rice having his own unique set of challenges.
For Gray, it is a welcome level of trust and hands the tight end an opportunity to play an important role for a Super Bowl contender. The debate remains whether this trust was misplaced, and if the Chiefs will regret their decision to put so much faith in a player coming off the worst season of his career.
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