Chiefs Agree to Contract Extension with Tight End Noah Gray

Hours before the start of the 2024 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly agreed to a contract extension with tight end Noah Gray.

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray (83) warms up against the Chicago Bears prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Hours before the official start of the 2024 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly agreed to a contract extension with tight end Noah Gray. According to Adam Schefter, it's a three-year, $18 million extension with $10.1 million fully guaranteed.

Compensation update: Chiefs are signing TE Noah Gray to a three-year, $18 million extension that includes $10.1 million fully guaranteed at signing. https://t.co/QipeADTSpC

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2024

In three seasons with the Chiefs, Gray has appeared in 50 regular season games and recorded 63 career catches for 640 yards and four touchdowns. He has also played in all 10 of the Chiefs' postseason games over the past three years, adding 13 catches for 117 yards.

While Gray's box score numbers haven't been eye-popping, his usage in Andy Reid's offense is noteworthy. Gray has played 52% of the Chiefs' offense snaps in each of the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Reference, in addition to more than 200 special teams snaps in each of his first three years in the league.

Gray, a former fifth-round pick, becomes the second member of the Chiefs' 2021 draft class to receive a contract extension ahead of the final year of his rookie deal after second-round pick Creed Humphrey became the highest-paid center in football this preseason. Two of the Chiefs' other 2021 draft picks, second-round linebacker Nick Bolton and sixth-round guard Trey Smith, appear to be playing out the final year of their respective rookie deals before having a chance to hit free agency in 2025.

Why did the Chiefs extend Noah Gray now?

Frankly, I hadn't spent much time considering if the Chiefs would try to extend Gray this offseason. Humphrey was clearly KC's top extension priority, with Smith and Bolton both at least in consideration for new deals. (My assumption has long been that Smith would be best-served by a chance to test free agency next offseason and that the Chiefs would be best-off by not overpaying Bolton.) Gray has been a useful and reliable player during his time in Kansas City, but that hasn't historically been the type of deal that general manager Brett Veach has sought to sort out before the player's final season.

For example, defensive end Mike Danna — a former fifth-round pick who evolved into a strong role player — hit free agency before returning to the Chiefs with a late free agency reunion in April. Danna became Veach's first draft pick to sign a multi-year deal in KC beyond the initial rookie contact. Humphrey was the first Veach draftee to sign an extension while under contract, and Gray becomes the second. Humphrey is clearly viewed as one of the league's best centers. Gray is KC's current No. 2 tight end behind Travis Kelce and, interestingly, ahead of rookie fourth-round pick Jared Wiley, who KC took at No. 131 overall in the 2024 draft.

There's a chance that Gray's extension was always in the cards, with the Chiefs being willing to pay Gray something around $10 million total for 2025 and 2026, assuming that the $18 million deal includes a back-loaded non-guaranteed final year. If the Chiefs expect Gray to see a jump in usage this season while the team manages the health and workload of Travis Kelce, perhaps KC believes Gray would have seen his price spike on the open market next offseason.

On the other hand, maybe the Chiefs didn't love what they saw from Wiley's first training camp and sought to extend his developmental timeline. Could Gray be a bit of insurance if Kelce retires after the 2024 season instead of playing out his recently signed two-year deal? It's possible. Ultimately, the Chiefs are paying a sizable chunk of change to make sure Gray remains in Kansas City through at least 2026, locking down a consistent player for years to come.

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