Gray Area: Envisioning Travis Kelce As Backup Tight End in New-Look Chiefs Offense

Taylor Swift’s significant other, who also ranks as the NFL’s all-time leader in postseason receptions and touchdown catches, casts a pretty long shadow. But there’s really no gray area for how the Chiefs feel about the tight end waiting to replace Travis Kelce.

Noah Gray is ready to roll. And the Chiefs knew it nearly six months ago when they signed him to a three-year contract extension. He signed that deal, worth $18 million in new money, just before Kansas City kicked off the season on Sept. 5.

And because the Chiefs locked up Gray, they head to the combine this week looking to potentially replace just one of their top two tight ends, not two. And if they can keep both, former Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth last week said Gray and Kelce could trade roles.

“If you took Travis Kelce and essentially made him a situational player,” Schlereth said on FS1’s Breakfast Ball, “took some pressure off of him and say, ‘We're going to use you in these packages and these situations, red zone, third downs, all those things; when we get into nickel, when we get into two tights and we want to spread people out in that formation.’”

Assuming that conversation doesn’t push Kelce into retirement, and assuming the Chiefs don’t terminate him in a salary-cap move that would save $17 million, Schlereth said the move could benefit both Kelce and the Chiefs.

“If they address their offensive line, which is really the issue -- the two tackle positions -- address that offensive line, address their run game, do I think they have enough as a football team? Hell, they won 15 games last year. So, certainly. They made it to the Super Bowl. And they have the greatest quarterback in football.”

That quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, targeted Gray in 2024 more than any prior season. A 6-3, 240-pound veteran entering his fifth year out of Duke, Gray registered career highs in receptions (40), yards (437) and touchdowns (5) last season. He actually caught two more touchdowns than Kelce, whose three scores were his fewest since his 2013 rookie year.

The situation should resolve itself soon. Kelce, who reportedly is leaning toward returning, apparently has a March 14 deadline to decide. Free agency begins March 12.

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