Noah Gray

Gray's targets per game climbed 4 straight seasons: 1.56 → 1.90 → 2.60 → 2.94 — before dipping to 2.64 in 2025.

Why it matters. Five-year role trajectory shows whether KC has been building Gray into a real TE2 or just keeping a depth body.

2024 breakout: 5 TDs — more than his first three seasons (4) combined.

Gray's 2024 was the inflection point: 5 receiving TDs in 16 REG games, edging his prior 3-year total of 4 (2021–2023). Both multi-TD games came in back-to-back weeks (Buffalo, Carolina) — those two outings alone accounted for 4 of his 9 career receiving TDs (44%).

Week 12 vs Carolina (4-66-2) was his career-best yardage day. His Week 15 vs Cleveland was a third 2024 TD, but only one-score — so the multi-TD club is just those two Nov games.

Why it matters. A TE2 going from 1-1-2 TDs to 5 in one year is the year you find out he's a red-zone weapon.

3 SB appearances in 4 years — and his playoff line is 17-132-0 across 11 games.

Drafted in the 5th round of the 2021 draft (162nd overall) out of Duke, Gray has been active for every Chiefs playoff game since his rookie year. His combined postseason workload over 4 runs: 17 catches on 23 targets for 132 yards and 0 TDs in 11 games.

The ring count: KC won SB LVII (2022 season) and SB LVIII (2023 season), then lost SB LIX to PHI. Gray's been a postseason role player on three Super Bowl rosters — but the box score says decoy and blocker, not weapon.

Why it matters. Knowing his postseason workload is small (17 catches, 0 TDs in 11 games) reframes the 'TE2 on a dynasty' narrative — he's been there, but not used.

81 career games, 141 catches, 1,387 yards — 9.84 YPR and 1.74 rec/game as the TE behind Kelce.

Gray's full body of work as the TE2 behind Travis Kelce: 141 receptions on 194 targets (72.7%) for 1,387 yards and 9 TDs across 81 games. The volume is tiny — 1.74 receptions per game is true second-fiddle work — but the catch rate is sticky.

Of those 81 games, 4 came with Kelce inactive (2021 PIT, 2023 DET opener, 2023 LAC Week 18, 2024 DEN Week 18 — based on weekly logs). The other 77 were the genuine TE2 reps with Kelce on the field absorbing the targets.

Why it matters. Anchors what a 5-year TE2 career behind a HoF starter actually produces: low volume, high efficiency, sparse TDs.

2025 dip: 21 catches in 14 games — Kelce's age + WR additions cut into Gray's role.

After the 2024 breakout (44-452-5), Gray's 2025 production has receded: 21 catches for 178 yards and 0 TDs in 14 games, with a 56.8% catch rate (down from 83.0% in 2024).

The Chiefs' personnel mix shifted — Xavier Worthy emerged (110 targets, 821 yards in 2025), and Kelce continued to absorb the in-line targets (108 tgt, 851 yds, 5 TD). Gray's targets-per-game dropped from 2.94 → 2.64 and his TDs zeroed out.

He signed a 3-year, $18M extension before 2025, so the Chiefs clearly see him as a long-term piece — likely the TE1-in-waiting when Kelce retires.

Why it matters. Year-over-year regression on a contract year extension is the cleanest signal that the offense moved on without him — even if the team says otherwise.

Inside the 10: Gray is 5-for-15 on targets for TDs — a 33.3% conversion rate.

Across his career, 15 of Gray's targets have come inside the opponent 10-yard line — and 5 of them turned into TDs (33.3%). Inside the 20 he's been targeted 26 times for 7 TDs.

2024 was where the dial moved: 10 red-zone targets and 4 red-zone TDs in a single season — both career highs. 2025 zeroed it out: 3 RZ targets, 0 TDs. The red-zone share is the cleanest 1-year breakout-then-bust signal in his profile.

Why it matters. Red-zone target volume is the only role a TE2 can grow into without dethroning Kelce — and 2024 showed he can finish.