Travis Kelce : Kansas City, MO. – Following Tuesday’s examinations, the Kansas City Chiefs believe that their All-Pro tight end, Travis Kelce, has an intact ACL, a source informed Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The source mentioned that there’s swelling in Kelce’s knee, and the Chiefs will re-evaluate his availability for the NFL season opener against the Detroit Lions on Wednesday night.
Earlier on Tuesday, Head Coach Andy Reid announced that Kelce had experienced significant strain in his knee during Tuesday’s practice.
When asked about how the game plan could change without Kelce, Reid commented, “Next man up, and we roll.” He added, “If he doesn’t play, you just do that.”
Wide receiver Skye Moore mentioned that Kelce was running a route when he got injured.
Moore observed, “When I saw him, he was limping, like he was heading off the field.” He pointed out that Kelce left the practice field without assistance, which “was a good sign.”
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Discussing how the offense might perform against the Lions without Kelce, Moore said, “It’ll be a bit different… Everyone will be capable of filling the gap. Obviously, it’s a hole since he’s a renowned tight end, but we will manage to get our job done and cross the finish line.”
On the Chiefs’ active roster, there are two other tight ends, Noah Gray and Blake Bell. Last season, Gray made 28 catches, including a touchdown. Bell missed the entire year due to a hip flexor injury but has caught 60 passes, including a touchdown, in eight NFL seasons with five different teams.
Bell spoke highly of Kelce, “He’s one of the toughest players, and we can’t wait for him to be back.” He continued, “We’ll just keep doing what we do, and the rest of the guys in the room will be ready to step up.”
In the Chiefs’ practice squad, there are also challenges, and one of them, Matt Bushman, was with the Chiefs in training camp. Bushman shared that after Kelce’s injury, he got some snaps with the starting group, which is unusual unless he isn’t playing in the upcoming game.
Additionally, Reid also mentioned on Tuesday that there’s been “no progress” in talks with holdout defensive tackle Chris Jones, who’s seeking a new contract.
Reid emphasized, “Our focus is on the guys who are here, getting ready to play the Lions, and that’s where I am. If you’re not here, you’re not here. That’s the name of the game.”
Kelce, who has surpassed 1,000 yards in consecutive seven seasons, hasn’t missed a game due to injury since his rookie season in 2013, when he underwent a microfracture procedure on his knee. The 33-year-old has missed only three games since 2014: resting in the final weeks of the season in 2017 and 2020, and missing a Week 16 game in 2021 due to COVID-19.
News of Kelce’s injury affected betting lines for Thursday night’s game, where Kansas City dropped from -6.5 to -5 at Caesar Sportsbook.
