3 Chiefs Fighting For Their Jobs After Free Agency
2. TE Noah Gray
With Travis Kelce not getting any younger, Chiefs fans were excited to see if Noah Gray could take a big step forward in his development.
The 2023 campaign wound up being a mixed bag for the ex-Duke Blue Devil. On one hand, Gray matched his career-high of 28 receptions while setting new personal bests in both receiving yards (305) and touchdowns (2). On the other hand, his 68.3% catch percentage was a massive decline from last year (82.4%) and his 47.6 Pro Football Focus pass-block grade ranked second-worst on the Chiefs.
But despite his occasional shortcomings, Gray was still projected to be Kansas City's TE2 next season... until the team went out at signed Irv Smith Jr. via free agency. With the duo looking to compete for the role of Kelce's backup, here are how their stats over the last three seasons compare:
Player | Games | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns | Yards Per Game | Pass Block Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noah Grey | 50 | 63 | 640 | 4 | 12.8 | 47.6 |
Irv Smith Jr. | 33 | 73 | 662 | 8 | 20.1 | 53.6 |
The pressure is on for Gray to step up this offseason. Otherwise, he could lose his job to Smith or even someone who's added to the roster later this offseason.