Heading into the 2021 campaign, the Kansas City Chiefs have many weapons for Patrick Mahomes to throw to. One of the newest additions being rookie tight end Noah Gray.
After practice on Wednesday, tight end Travis Kelce took to the podium to voice his excitement about the former Duke Blue Devil’s presence inside of the tight ends room.
“Oh yeah, he’s going to help us this year, man,” Kelce raved to reporters. “I can’t wait until the world sees what that guy can do. He’s doing an unbelievable job of learning this offense. There is so much that you have to do in this offense as a tight end, and especially the move guy and not just the Y tight end, but being the U. Your knowledge, you have to understand what everyone is capable of doing; the running backs, the wide receivers, the fullbacks. Not only that, but know the tight end position.”
Gray has previously received early praise from coaches Andy Reid and Eric Bienemy, as well as Patrick Mahomes, for how well he’s been able to learn the playbook since his arrival to Kansas City. Kelce is just the latest player that has taken notice of Gray’s rapid development with the team.
“I think what Noah (Gray) is doing a great job of is getting in that playbook,” said Kelce. “And being able to go out there on the snap of the ball and play with confidence and play fast. From there, it’s just every rep. Every rep you get you to learn something. And you can watch other guys and figure out how you want to attack certain defenses with those reps. I think he’s doing a great job of just going to work here in training camp, and then trying to become the best football player he can be.”
According to Sam Dowell of the KC Star, Gray appears to have a knack for finding the ‘sweet spot’ in a defense’s coverage when getting open. Something Kelce has been able to do for Kansas City over the years.
“It’s as simple as understanding the game,” said Kelce. “Understanding what the defense is presenting. When you understand the voids and the zones that they’re in, you understand where to go, where to be, and when to be there,” he explained. “I think Noah [Gray] has a great feel for that. It’s something that you can try and teach, but you really have to get somebody that is confident in their ability to go out there and do it. That’s what Noah brings to the table. His confidence and his ability to be there and his accountability in that aspect.”
Like Kelce, Gray also has a past of playing quarterback. Which Kelce has noted in the past, is something that gives a better understanding of where to be on the field that will help Patrick Mahomes. Kelce believes that’s where a lot of Gray’s confidence and understanding of the playbook stem from.
“I think he played a little quarterback in high school,” said Kelce. “Any time you’re back there and you’re reading defenses, you start to feel where you want guys to go, right? I was a quarterback, I wasn’t very good, but I understood where I wanted guys to be versus certain coverages. I think that has naturally just made me more comfortable when I see a certain defense, where I need to be, and how I can make it easier on the quarterback to get there.”
With Kansas City’s first pre-season contest just 10 days away, it won’t be long before everyone outside the team’s facility will finally get to see what the players and coaches have been raving about when referring to Gray’s on-field performance. From the sounds of it, the Chiefs have two lethal weapons at the tight end position.
