Why Noah Gray Isn’t Thinking About 2021 or 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City tight end Noah Gray spoke from the podium after practice Friday. The Chiefs (5-4) will visit the Broncos (8-2) on Sunday (3:25 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan).

To view his comments, watch and read below:

On the team’s attitude entering a critical division game:

“Yeah, well-rested and ready to roll. We're excited. It's a great Denver team, and we're looking forward to it. Guys have done a great job preparing this week. And yeah, great challenge ahead, and we're really looking forward to this game.”

On starting 5-4 as a 2021 rookie, and summoning what they did that year:

“Yeah, I trust everybody in this organization, from top to bottom, coaches, teammates, everybody that's a part of this. So, we're just going to keep chugging along, keep coming out here, practicing, staying humble, working together as a team, and trusting the process. It's a long season, and we're just really looking forward to the challenge of playing the Broncos this week. It's going to be one game at a time, and that's the challenge we have ahead of us.”

On Denver’s NFL-leading 46 sacks and what the tight ends can do to limit pressure on Patrick Mahomes Sunday:

“Yeah, I mean, like I said earlier, I mean, it's a team sport. We're going to battle this out as a team. We got to do our job as tight ends of helping the receivers get open, helping the offensive line, helping Pat. We got to get open. So, there's a lot of different aspects.

“But we're just going to go into this thing, trust the gameplan, trust the coaches are putting us in the best position to be as successful as possible. It is a great Denver defense from top to bottom, from their secondary up to their front guys, got great edge rushers, great interior guys, phenomenal linebackers.

“So, I always enjoy playing these guys. It's a divisional game, and it's gonna be a lot of fun. I love playing at Mile High. It's a beautiful stadium, great fan base. So, it's gonna be a lot of fun going up there and playing against those guys.”

justin strnad, jonathon coope — Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) celebrates his interception with safety P.J.L.ocke (6) and linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

On Denver winning close games this year, something the Chiefs did in 2024 but have struggled to do recently:

“Yeah, I don't think anyone's really focused on last year at all. We're just in this right now. We're in the thick of this season. Had some games not go our way. We had some games go our way. But I just think the motivation is trust in each other. Trust that, like I said earlier, Coach has got a great gameplan for us. He's putting us in positions to be successful, and that's going out there and executing. That’s us going out there at practice, taking meetings and everything seriously, doing our homework.

"So, we're just looking right now where we're at, where our feet are, being where our feet are, and we're just really looking forward to the challenge of Denver this week. And I think that's on everybody's mind.”

noah gra — Oct 29, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray (83) makes a catch ahead of Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (29) in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

On how Nicolette Mense helps the team adjust to Denver’s altitude:

“Well, we’re fortunate to have a great nutritionist here. Nici on staff, she sent out earlier this week a great thing of nutritional facts to help us prepare. So, I've just been leaning on that and that packet that she sent out. So, I think a lot of it is diet, just staying in condition.

“But you're really not gonna really feel that effect until you actually get up there in Denver, but it's gonna be fun. The altitude does wear on you a little bit more than it does down here at 1,000 feet, wherever we're at, elevation. But it's going to be fun. And I think just leaning on the nutritional part of it, sleep; sleep’s huge, hydration. So, just kind of things like that. And, yeah, we're really looking forward to it.”

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