There were plenty of players, coaches and fans of the Kansas City Chiefs excited to learn that tight end Travis Kelce was continuing his playing career into 2026. Few share the perspective that Chiefs second tight end Noah Gray has on Kelce committing to a 14th season in the NFL.
The future shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame has seemingly grown larger than life since coming on strong as a media personality, then successfully asking the world’s biggest pop star to marry him.
All of the extracurriculars
on Kelce’s plate have yet to affect the veteran leadership he has developed in Kansas City’s locker room. That’s how Gray sees it, who looked relieved when responding to a question about Kelce being back during a minicamp press conference last week.
“I’m just very fortunate and very glad that he is playing alongside me this season,” Gray said. “There’s so much that he brings to the table. Leadership, work ethic, just certain fundamentals that we have on the field that he can help us [with] cause he’s been in this way longer than I have and most of those guys in the locker room.
“To be able to play alongside still is a blessing,” Gray continued. “It’s something I hope I never take for granted every day I step in this facility.”
Gray has been Kelce’s primary running mate in the Chiefs’ two-tight-end formations since 2022, his second season in the league. In 2024, Gray started the season by signing a contract extension, then justified the organization’s investment by racking up career-high marks in receiving yards (437) and touchdowns (5).
However, Gray’s production crashed back to earth last season — 178 yards and no scores — so naturally, he was asked about what improvement looks like for him.
“Whether that’s run blocking, which is a big part of what I do, pass blocking is a big part of what I do, route running, catching the football,” Gray listed off after noting the rapid, evolving improvement of NFL defenders.
It remains to be seen whether Gray can bounce back in 2026, but he assured local media that he would be working towards it regardless.
“I truly am someone who doesn’t believe that anyone’s perfect,” Gray shared. “But you can work every day to be the best possible version of yourself, and I think that’s something that our coaches preach to us, working hard and trying to be better than you were yesterday. I’ll retire from this league, and I’ll still have things to improve on.
“That’s just kind of the mindset I’ve had my entire life,” Gray continued. “You have guys on the other side of the football that are hungry; they want to sack the quarterback, so it’s something you have to have the mindset with every single year because you want to make the team better.”
Gray and Kelce are joined in the position room by third-year tight end Jared Wiley, second-year tight ends Jake Briningstool and Tre Watson, and rookie undrafted signing John Michael Gyllenborg.
Gray doubles or triples most of the group in experience, but that doesn’t stop him from utilizing the fresh faces in order to improve himself.
“They have done a tremendous job this OTAs just going out there, grinding, learning, I’ve learned so much from them as well,” Gray said. “Every day I have to get better, and it’s awesome to have a tight end room that you can lean on, regardless of what your age is or experience in the NFL, and just learn something from those guys. There are a lot of things those younger guys do that’s better than me, so to be able to learn from those guys and have them in the room is super special.”
While Kelce is the vocal and emotional leader of the position, Gray leads by example as a team-first player, but the Chiefs’ offense needs more than that from the tight end mainstays in 2026.
