The Kansas City Chiefs will head into Thanksgiving down tight end Noah Gray. The team ruled him out for Week 13 as he remains in the concussion protocol, according to reporting from Nate Taylor and RotoWire.
He did not practice on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and the short week left no path for clearance.The timing matters. Kansas City visits the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET in one of the most-watched regular season windows each year. The Chiefs need every weapon they can get to stabilize a 6-5 season that has tightened their playoff margin. Losing Gray strains a position that already funnels most of its work through Travis Kelce.
How Noah Gray’s absence changes Kansas City’s tight end rotation
Gray has operated as Kansas City’s second tight end all season and plays a steady role in Patrick Mahomes’ intermediate structure. With Gray sidelined, the Chiefs will turn to Robert Tonyan and Jared Wiley for snaps behind Kelce. That depth shift matters more than usual on a short week, especially against a Dallas defense that leans on pressure and tight man coverage.
The team also ruled out All-Pro guard Trey Smith and corner Christian Roland-Wallace.
That leaves Kansas City thin on the interior line and in the slot, adding pressure to compensate with clean timing routes and reliable secondary targets. The Chiefs still expect Kelce, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Isiah Pacheco available, but losing Gray affects how flexible their personnel packages can be.Gray’s next opportunity to return arrives on Dec. 7 against Houston, per RotoWire’s reporting.
How to watch Chiefs vs. Cowboys today: Time, TV channel, and streaming for Thanksgiving’s Week 13 game
The Kansas City Chiefs face the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, inside AT&T Stadium. The game airs on CBS with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson on the call. Viewers can stream the matchup on NFL+, with access available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Here’s the NFL schedule for Thanksgiving.
Dallas enters the holiday at 5-5-1, while Kansas City arrives at 6-5 after back-to-back wins over Indianapolis and Philadelphia. This is one of the biggest windows of the regular season and traditionally draws massive numbers, which is why the broadcast and streaming schedule is loaded across platforms. Those outside the CBS viewing area can also access the game through Paramount+ and YouTube TV’s Sunday Ticket, depending on regional availability.
