Chiefs' Noah Gray: Could start Week 1 if Kelce sits

Gray appears to be first in line to serve as Kansas City's top pass-catching tight end in Thursday's game against the Lions if Travis Kelce (knee) is sidelined for the contest, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

Kelce departed Tuesday's practice with a hyperextended knee, and while the team's initial feeling is that the eight-time Pro Bowler avoided a long-term injury, his status is still in doubt for Thursday's season opener, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. If Kelce ends up sitting or is limited in some capacity Thursday, Gray likely wouldn't command the same sort of target volume, but the third-year Duke product may still draw enough looks to make for an intriguing streaming option. Even though Kelce suited up for all 17 regular-season games in 2022, Gray played north of 50 percent of the offensive snaps in 12 of those contests and turned in a 28-299-1 receiving line on 34 targets while also scoring on his lone rushing attempt. Blake Bell is the only other tight end on the 53-man roster, but Matt Bushman could be elevated from the practice squad to add depth.