Needing a quarterback after Brodie Croyle (knee) and Damon Huard (hand) were placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Kansas City turned to Gray, who completed 101 of 180 passes for 1,252 yards with 12 TDs and five interceptions for an 88.5 rating in games with the Jaguars.

In a December 2006 game against Kansas City, he relieved David Gerrard and completed 13 of 22 throws for 166 yards in a 35-30 Kansas City win. He also rushed two times for 26 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

--The Chiefs also added punter Steve Weatherford, whom they claimed off waivers from New Orleans. Weatherford is a backup for Dustin Colquitt, who injured his right, non-kicking leg against Carolina but played on it against Tennessee.

Weatherford played three seasons for New Orleans where he averaged 43.5 yards gross and 37 net on 166 punts in 39 games.

Gray most recently attended training camp with Indianapolis before being released prior to the current season.

--Kansas City also has a new kicker. Nick Novak got the axe after six games in which he hit only six of 10 field goals, with two of those misses coming from 32 and 39 yards. The Chiefs replaced Novak with rookie Connor Barth, an undrafted collegian from North Carolina who narrowly lost the job to Novak after a competition that spanned spring workouts and training camp.

PLAYER NOTES

--QB Tyler Thigpen, who was intercepted three times in his first and only NFL start in Week 3 against Atlanta, will be the Kansas City starter against the Jets. He's the only man standing after starter Brodie Croyle (knee) and backup Damon Huard (hand) went on injured reserve with injuries.

--RB Kolby Smith will get a second straight start against the Jets after Larry Johnson was declared inactive for a second time as a disciplinary measure.

--P Dustin Colquitt remains questionable for the Jets game after sustaining a muscle injury to his right, non-kicking leg in a Week 6 loss at Carolina. He rested after the bye week and punted effectively against Tennessee, but the Chiefs signed free-agent punter Steve Weatherford as an insurance policy should Colquitt be unable to go against the Jets.

--QB Brodie Croyle confirmed that he tore both ACL and MCL ligaments in his knee, which will be surgically repaired sometime after swelling is reduced to the point at which surgeons can operate. Croyle said he plans to continue playing football despite a third major knee surgery, the second on his left knee.

--QB Damon Huard tore some ligaments in his throwing hard in the second quarter against Tennessee, an injury that caused the Chiefs to place him on injured reserve and out of action for the rest of the season.

GAME PLAN: What can the Chiefs hope to accomplish against the Jets? They're not going to run the ball effectively against the league's No. 4 rush defense, which means they're probably not going to through it, either, with a second-year quarterback Tyler Thigpen making just his second NFL start.

Brett Favre hasn't been lighting it up for the Jets, but he could get healthy against KC's two rookie corners, especially when they get absolutely no help from a pass rush that's generated three sacks all season.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Jets running game led by RB Thomas Jones against Chiefs run defense. Jones is coming off a 24-159 game against Oakland. That was the second-highest running total of his nine-year career. He could have a record day against KC's porous run defense, which is yielding 207 ground yards a game.

INJURY IMPACT: P Dustin Colquitt did not participate Wednesday and is truly questionable for the Jets. LB Donnie Edwards did a full workout Wednesday and might return after missing the last three games with an ankle sprain.