It’s always expected that the Kansas City Chiefs will receive spectacular play out of their tight ends room. This isn’t a surprise since Travis Kelce is a main focal point of the Chiefs offense and a primary target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
This season, there’s another tight end who’s turning heads by becoming another security blanket for Mahomes. Now a fourth-year veteran, Noah Gray always showed flashes of his potential since getting drafted in 2021.
This season, he’s gone full pedal to the metal with what has turned into a breakout campaign. Through 12 games with five left to play, Gray has already set career high for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
During his Wednesday press conference, head coach Andy Reid took time to recognize the terrific season his tight end is having and explained that part of it is from an extended number of opportunities.
“We’re doing a little bit more double tight end stuff, and [Noah Gray’s] had a good blend in there when they were doubling [Travis] Kelce. He took full advantage of that,” Reid explained.
“He’s a good player. Listen, he works tremendously hard at his job. He’s very smart, and you knew that he would just continue to get better and better.”
Gray has 31 catches for 373 yards and four touchdowns on the season, and with five games left of the schedule, he could finish past 500 yards receiving yards, which would be an impressive accomplishment for a backup tight end.
It also gives the Chiefs some insight into what Gray would do if he were to become a starter someday. Kansas City suffered four long years after moving on from Tony Gonzalez before drafting Travis Kelce.
If Gray continues on the trajectory he’s on, the Chiefs may have the luxury of moving from one legendary tight end to another whenever Kelce retires.
