KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce limped off the practice field under his own power during Tuesday’s practice, the club’s final tuneup before Thursday night’s season opener against the Detroit Lions.
An MRI and initial tests concluded that Kelce doesn’t have any significant structural damage. He will undergo further evaluation on Wednesday. How much inflammation remains in the knee will ultimately determine his availability for Thursday’s game.
Head coach Andy Reid said during his Tuesday afternoon press conference that Kelce hyperextended his knee but was still undergoing further examination from the team’s medical staff to determine the extent of the injury. Tuesday’s practice was conducted without pads, and the injury occurred during the red-zone period.
“It was right in front of me,” said Reid, who declined to go into details about the injury or the incident. “We’ll just see how he does go forward,” he said.
Kelce has been an iron man for the Chiefs, missing only three games in the last nine seasons. He sat out the season finale along with other starters in the 2017 and 2020 seasons and missed one game on COVID-19 reserve in 2021.
“He’s as tough as it gets and is a great leader,” said Noah Gray, Kelce’s primary backup at tight end. “I hope he’s out there.”
If the team is forced to play without Kelce, however, Gray feels his fellow tight ends are ready to pick up the slack.
“We just got to go out there and play the game plan that our coaches have set up for us,” Gray said. “I think they’ve done a great job of practices week, and we got a great tight end group.”
The Chiefs are carrying three tight ends on the active roster including Kelce, Gray and Blake Bell. On the practice squad are tight ends Matt Bushman, who spent the offseason and training camp with the Chiefs, and Gerrit Prince, who signed the squad last week after getting waived by Jacksonville.
All 53 players on the active roster practiced in some form on Tuesday.
“I think most guys are there, yeah,” Reid said.
But Reid’s tone sharpened when asked about specific details regarding other individual players.
“I’ll tell you what with the injuries,” Reid said. “I’ll give them to you tomorrow, or game day, and I can’t say that everybody’s good to go. You’ll see the X when we get there.”
Chiefs injury report
Did not practice: None
Limited participation: TE Travis Kelce (knee), CB L’Jarius Sneed (knee) and WR Kadarius Toney (knee)
Full participation: WR Richie James (knee), DT Tershawn Wharton (knee), OL Nick Allegretti (pec), CB Nic Jones (hand) and DE BJ Thompson (hamstring)
Lions injury report
Did not practice: C Frank Ragnow (rest)
Limited participation: CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee)
Full participation: DT Isaiah Buggs (illness) and S Ifeatu Melifonwu (hamstring)
