According to tests done on Tuesday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Kansas City Chiefs are confident that All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce’s ACL is intact.
According to the source, Kelce has knee inflammation, and the Chiefs will test it once more on Wednesday to see whether he can play in the NFL’s regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.
Earlier Tuesday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid had said Kelce suffered a hyperextended knee during Tuesday’s practice.
Reid said when asked how the game strategy may change without Kelce, “The next guy steps in and we roll.” “If [he doesn’t play], you do that.”
Skyy Moore, a wide receiver, claimed that when Kelce was hurt on the play, he was running a route.
Moore remarked, “He was limping when I saw him, like, just walking off the pitch,” adding that Kelce walked off the practice pitch unaided. It was encouraging to see him stand up and leave the pitch on his own.
If Kelce is unable to play against the Lions, Moore predicted that the offense “would be a little bit different. The gaps will be filled in by everyone. Despite the fact that the tight end in question is undoubtedly a Hall of Famer, we will be able to finish the race.
Blake Bell and Noah Grey are the other tight ends on the Chiefs’ current roster. Last season, Grey grabbed 28 receptions for a touchdown. Bell has 60 catches with one touchdown in eight NFL seasons with five teams, missing most of the year with a hip flexor injury.
Bell described Kelce as “one of the toughest” and said, “We can’t wait for him to get back out there.”
Two tight ends are also on the Chiefs’ practice squad, one of them, Matt Bushman, was a member of the team during training camp. After Kelce’s injury, according to Bushman, he got a few snaps with the starting lineup, which usually wouldn’t happen if he wasn’t going to play in the next game.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is on strike and looking for a new deal, was also told by Reid on Tuesday that there has been “no progress” in negotiations.
“We’re concentrating on the players who are here as we prepare to play the Lions, and I’m there right now. The rule of this game is that if you’re not there, you’re not there, according to Reid.
Since his rookie season in 2013, when he underwent a microfracture treatment on his knee, Kelce, who has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in seven straight seasons, has not missed a game due to injury. Since 2014, the 33-year-old has only missed three games: a Week 16 contest in 2021 due to COVID-19, and twice in the last week of the season, in 2017 and 2020, when he rested.
The point spread on Thursday night’s game moved after the news of Kelce’s injury, with Kansas City dropping from -6.5 to -5 at Caesars Sportsbook.
About The Author
