While there was very little to appreciate in the Kansas City Chiefs' 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, one continued positive story has been the resurgence of Noah Gray. The veteran tight end appeared to be a potential offseason cut on the heels of last season offering the lowest catch percentage of his career (56.8%) and managing only 178 receiving yards in a season where Patrick Mahomes so badly needed a surprise option to emerge.
Fast forward six games into the 2026 season, and the Chiefs have to be feeling much better about where Gray currently stands. He has nearly eclipsed his production from last year, producing over 13 yards per catch on just 12 receptions. Gray has upped his catch rate to nearly 86% and has been a solid outlet option for when Mahomes is in trouble and needs someone to get open and run upfield.
Gray has taken the exact steps fans hoped to see from the backup tight end and has clearly benefited from the return of Eric Bieniemy. What will be interesting to watch moving forward is whether Gray's role continues to grow due to a current lack of receiving depth. Or is his role somewhat diminished in favor of the Chiefs adding a solid pass-catcher via trade?
No matter the answer, the tight end has earned his contract this season and proven himself capable of continuing to be Travis Kelce's backup. While Gray still has leaps and bounds to go in the blocking aspect, his receiving has notably returned to form.
Noah Gray remains a Chiefs bright spot despite the team's first blip of the season
Part of what makes Gray so easy to embrace is turning on the tape and watching the effort he displays each and every play. For a guy who one game may get five targets and another just one, the Chiefs can always rely on Gray to give it his all whenever on the field. Guys like him are easy for fans to gravitate toward, especially when he's playing well.
The widely held belief among Chiefs Kingdom is that Gray will undoubtedly get cut next year. Brett Veach can save a sizable $6 million by letting him go in the final year of his three-year contract signed in 2024.
If Gray continues to produce for the rest of the year, the only way he'd remain on the team would be with another semi-costly extension. But it's clear that he is no starting-level option. We have years of evidence of that. And with 2026 potentially being Travis Kelce's last, the Chiefs need to add a legit number one tight end. Not rely on Gray to magically change what he is.
Add us as a preferred source on Google