It wouldn’t be August in Kansas City without a difficult roster crunch for the Chiefs coaching staff to figure out.

On the offensive side, the Chiefs have plenty of depth at wide receiver, tight end and running back — simultaneously. And that means talented players will eventually be cut or traded.

There had been some speculation that tight end Noah Gray might become one of those trade casualties after the emergence of rookie Jared Wiley and free agent pickup Irv Smith Jr. this spring and summer. On August 4, however, Gray reminded media and fans that he’s most likely not going anywhere during the final year of his rookie contract.

“With so much run action, KC was running plenty of plays out of 12 & 13 personnel,” Arrowhead Pride’s lead analyst Ron Kopp Jr. relayed from practice — stepping in for beat reporter Pete Sweeney on August 4. Kopp added that “Noah Gray stood out with a strong performance” during this session.

“Early in team, [Gray] released over the middle after a fake handoff,” the analyst explained. “[Patrick] Mahomes threw it behind him, but Gray cleanly grabbed it one handed and continued on.”

“Gray also caught a deep pass from Carson Wentz running with the 1st team OL,” Kopp went on. “He booted left from under center, then threw back across the field to Gray on a Waggle [route], who secured it.”

Kopp even noted that Mahomes and superstar TE Travis Kelce had a “similar rep” that fell incomplete during the Sunday practice.

Chiefs Predicted to Roster 4 Tight Ends in 2024

On July 25, Sweeney predicted that the Chiefs would roster four tight ends again in 2024. KSHB41 media member Nick Jacobs settled on the same conclusion on July 21, noting that it’s “just a matter of if the Chiefs will keep three or four tight ends.”

Keep in mind, a large portion of NFL teams only keep three TEs on their 53-man squad. Under head coach Andy Reid, KC has sometimes gone as low as three but often prefers to roster four players at the position.

“There’s no more hiding the fact that Kelce is in the twilight of his career; even he would admit it,” Sweeney stated during his roster projection. “The now-world-famous tight end has joked (with Reid joining in) that he wants to be ‘worn out’ — but I think reality will dictate that he sees his snap count managed so he can be most effective in a postseason run.”

That could mean more tight end depth behind Kelce, according to Sweeney.

The beat writer pegged Gray as the initial No. 2 behind the future Hall of Famer with Wiley eventually taking over the role.

“If each of them proves capable, Reid would relish having four tight ends for that elusive T-Rex package,” Sweeney added. “That would give Smith a nice opportunity to revamp his career.”

Should Chiefs Keep Noah Gray Alongside Jared Wiley Long-Term?

Gray has developed into a quality tight end under Reid’s staff, and the Chiefs are unlikely to give up on him with Kelce getting up there in age.

Yes, Wiley has shown tantalizing promise early in his career, but KC has always been a team that prefers multiple options at tight end. So why not try and keep Gray inside the organization — or perhaps extend him?

No matter what the future holds for the former fifth-round selection, his breakout at Sunday’s practice should serve as a reminder for the Chiefs community. While somewhat overshadowed at OTAs and camp, Gray is most likely here to stay in 2024.

His presence gives Kansas City one of the most dangerous and well-rounded tight end groups in football, but it also makes things that much more challenging for the bubble candidates at wide receiver and running back.