Senior Reporter Names Noah Gray As 'Under-the-Radar' Chiefs Player for Postseason

As the Chiefs prepare for the playoffs, tight end Noah Gray is getting some buzz as a player to watch in January.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray (83) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

While they might have a first-round bye for the Wild Card section of the NFL playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs will be back on the field in the blink of an eye. Andy Reid's team has plenty of reasons to be excited and confident ahead of the postseason, and that applies to both sides of the ball.

Between quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive tackle Chris Jones and others, there's a ton of star power on this year's Kansas City squad. Every January run has its hero, however, and numerous candidates could potentially step up for the Chiefs in the coming weeks.

One esteemed writer is focusing on the offense. In a recent playoff preview for Sports Illustrated, senior NFL reporter Albert Breer singled out tight end Noah Gray as his "under-the-radar" player for Kansas City this month. After speaking with a league executive, Breer feels that the veteran pass catcher can help make a difference.

"Kansas City’s second tight end had modest numbers in the regular season, but other teams could see the trust that’s grown between him and Mahomes throughout the year," Breer wrote. "'He’s becoming a rising guy for them,' said an exec. 'He could be the heir [to Kelce]—he’s reliable, consistent, can block, has the versatility to play in-line or detached. He’s been a good find for them.'"

There definitely seems to be some merit to Breer's thoughts and the observations of the team employee he spoke to. Gray capped off his rookie contract by turning in the best regular-season effort of his career, hauling in personal best marks in targets (49), receptions (40), yards (437) and touchdowns (5). That's with a 67.3% success rate that's not only his best in the NFL but also the seventh-best figure in the sport this year. The box score certainly paints a positive picture of Gray, who averaged three receptions and 36 yards a game from Weeks 4-13.

The eye test and the team itself also back that up. As Breer mentioned, Mahomes is using Gray as more of a security blanket this year and targeting him in situations of any leverage. Regardless of down or scenario, the two-time MVP has found consistency with his No. 2 tight end. Kansas City has weaponized Gray and helped take a bit of the receiving load off Kelce, which seems to be the plan for as long as he's still in town. Hours before their regular-season opener in September, the Chiefs inked Gray to a three-year contract extension.

That faith is evident. Just ask Mahomes.

“He does everything the right way," Mahomes said in November. "He’s learned a ton from Trav and so he knows how to kind of work within the rules of the offense and get himself open. He’s just a guy that’s going to be in the right spot so as a quarterback you know if you’re going to give him the football, he’s going to make the play happen. He’s not going to talk a lot. He’s going to come in – he’s going to come to work, do his job, but at the same time, those are the guys you want on your team because you know that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.”

If one were to nitpick, it may be worth arguing that Gray's received so much praise this year that he no longer goes unnoticed under the aforementioned radar. With that said, things still start and end with the Mahomes-Kelce duo and high-flying wideouts like Xavier Worthy, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and DeAndre Hopkins complement that. Gray, for what he's worth, is still a clear supporting piece.

That's exactly where the Chiefs want him, though, as the playoffs arrive.

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