The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense has multiple stars leading the way, but one of the club’s top supporting pieces recently got appreciated for his efforts since being drafted.
Just before kicking off what was previously slated to be his final season before free agency, tight end Noah Gray was given a contract extension. The three-year pact keeps Gray in a Kansas City uniform for the foreseeable future, also maintaining some stability for one of football’s more talented offenses.
While Gray being signed is far from the splashiest of moves the Chiefs could’ve made, it’s a potentially underrated one. Head coach Andy Reid spoke to the importance Gray has on offense this week, citing the former fifth-round pick as a key component of the team.
“He’s a good football player and he does a lot for us,” Reid said. “He’s one of those guys that doesn’t get a whole lot of credit for all that he does, but [he’s a] big-time special teams player, great tight end. We do a bunch of double-tight stuff, plus he’s able to go in a spot (Travis) Kelce. He comes out of games with quite a few snaps because of the special teams. He’s a four-phase guy there and can do anything Dave (Toub) needs him to do there, and is willing. And he loves being here. A great guy on top of all that.”
Gray, 25, has routinely been the Chiefs’ second tight end in recent seasons. In each of the past two campaigns, he’s averaged just over 50% of available offensive snaps and combined for well over 1,000 offensive reps in the regular season and playoffs. He’s also a reliable special teams player, as Reid acknowledged, being over the 500-snap threshold there for 2022 and 2023. This past year was his best, seeing him haul in 28 passes for a career-high 305 yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes also seems happy the tight end got inked to a new deal before the season.
“He’s just a smart player,” Mahomes said. “Extremely smart player that does a lot of physical stuff that we need in this offense. He’s able to get himself open, he makes the catches whenever he’s asked to do it, but a guy who can just do it all. You need those guys in order to win football games. He’s one of those guys that can come in for Travis in spots and I have full confidence that he can go out there and make plays happen as well. He’s learned a ton behind Trav, and you can see him getting better and better each and every year. I was happy for him because he’s one of those guys that does it the right way and deserves the contract he got.”
In Week 1’s win over the Baltimore Ravens, Gray made a noteworthy impact. He converted on all of his targets and was on the field for 29 offensive snaps (54%). His 37 yards were tied for his fourth-most in a regular-season game, and his three receptions tied a career-high mark. The Chiefs kept him involved in pre-snap motion and post-snap execution, which is exactly what general manager Brett Veach hinted at when Kansas City traded for Peyton Hendershot (who was inactive on Thursday).
As long as Kelce is in a Chiefs uniform, Gray will always be in the background on offense. That’s completely fine, though, and the team continues to recognize his contributions. The extension is a financial example of it. Reid and Mahomes just provided another.
