Travis Kelce thinks the Chiefs tight end room is loaded behind him

The Kansas City Chiefs have been synonymous with elite tight end play for quite some time. It comes with the territory of having drafted the two greatest players to ever man the position: Travis Kelce and Tony Gonzalez. Yet as Kelce prepares for his 13th season in the NFL, he's ringing the bell for others on the depth chart as well.

If you ask Kelce, there's plenty more talent at tight end behind him on the Chiefs roster, and he spoke glowingly about the work both Noah Gray and Robert Tonyan were putting in while in camp in St. Joseph.

On Wednesday, Kelce spoke to Chiefs reporters about myriad subjects as the regular season comes into view. When given a chance to herald his teammates, Kelce had some heartening things to say about what fans can expect from the veterans working alongside him.

"If you've been out here, you've noticed how good Noah Gray's been, man," said Kelce. "He's really taken it up to the next level. He's an absolute stud."

Travis Kelce has glowing things to say about the veterans behind him at tight end for the Chiefs.

Specifically, Kelce said Gray is having an exemplary camp and noted that his chemistry with Patrick Mahomes has taken the next step as Gray comes into his fifth NFL season. Gray had 40 catches for 437 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns last season for the Chiefs.

"I don't think I've seen him lose a single rep yet," Kelce said. "He's awesome right now. It's fun to see him kind of take those next steps, getting higher and higher up on the board, and becoming more accountable. Him and Pat [Mahomes] are on the same page right now. It's fun to watch."

While younger options at tight end have drawn a lot of attention this offseason, especially on second-year tight end Jared Wiley and rookie free agent Jake Briningstool, the Chiefs also signed Robert Tonyan—affectionally called "Big Bob" by Kelce—to compete for the TE3 role.

Tonyan, originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent back in 2018, joined the Chiefs this offseason on a one-year deal in March. While younger players have struggled with injuries, Tonyan has proven to be a surprising performer in camp who has impressed with his talent and consistency.

"it's just a pleasure to have that guy in here," said Kelce. "Always a high-energy guy, always in a good mood, and ready to play some football the right way."