Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce uncertain to play in season opener

o d – live.staticflickr.com

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid revealed Tuesday that TE Travis Kelce might miss the NFL season opener against the Detroit Lions due to a hyperextended knee sustained during practice.

While Kelce’s availability for Week 1 is in doubt, CBS Sports NFL Lead Insider Jonathan Jones confirmed that it was usually not a long-term injury. The official injury report listed Kelce as a limited participant.

“We’ll just see how he does going forward,” Reid said, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Chiefs’ WR Skyy Moore recalled noticing Kelce limping as he walked off the field. Moore also noted that seeing Kelce get up and leave the field on his own was a positive sign.

After undergoing tests on Tuesday, it was revealed that Kelce’s ACL was fine, but there was inflammation in his knee. More tests on Wednesday will decide if he can play on Thursday.

Since his rookie season in 2013, Kelce has not missed a single game due to injury. The 33-year-old tight end has led Kansas City in receiving in three out of the last four seasons and has surpassed 1,000 yards in receptions for the past seven seasons.

Kelce has led all tight ends in receiving yards per game since 2019, averaging 79.8 yards. In 2022, he further solidified his position by ranking eighth in the NFL with 1,338 receiving yards. Additionally, he contributed 12 touchdowns during the regular season, playing a crucial role in securing a Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Noah Gray and Blake Bell are listed as Kelce’s backups at tight end for the game against the Lions. Gray had 28 receptions for 299 yards and one touchdown last year, while Bell played in just three games.

In addition to Kelce’s uncertain playing status, the Chiefs are dealing with All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones’ contract holdout, which means his availability for Thursday is also in question.