Travis Kelce injury update: Chiefs TE has ‘chance to go’ in Week 1 with bruised knee bone, brother Jason says

The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs could be without one of their most important players when they kick off the 2023 regular season against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. Following Tuesday’s practice session, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that star tight end Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee, per ESPN. 

Kelce’s availability for Week 1 is in doubt, but this is not believed to be a long-term injury, as confirmed by CBS Sports NFL Lead Insider Jonathan Jones. The Chiefs will first reportedly wait for the swelling to go down. When the official injury report was released on Tuesday afternoon, Kelce was listed as a limited participant. 

Following tests conducted on Tuesday, the Chiefs believe that Kelce’s ACL is intact, according to ESPN. There is inflammation in his knee and the tight end will test it again Wednesday to determine his availability for Thursday’s opener. 

Jason Kelce — Travis’ brother, Eagles All-Pro center, and podcast co-host with Travis — went on the WIP Morning Show in Philadelphia Wednesday morning and revealed, after talking with Travis on Tuesday, that his brother might have a chance to play Thursday night against the Lions after suffering what he called a bone bruise. 

“Travis, this was out on the field, and I know he’s got some swelling going on, but it sounds like as long as they can get that down, he’s going to have a chance to go [play],” Jason Kelce said Wednesday. “The ligaments and everything are intact structurally from what we know right now. His knee is fine. It’s about getting the swelling down and then seeing how bruised the bone is because… they can be pretty painful if it’s in a spot that’s rubbing all the time… I think he’s going to be good to go. I really do.”

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport called the injury a bone bruise.

Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL, and is coming off of a campaign in which he caught a career-high 110 passes for 1,338 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns while the Chiefs returned to their place atop the NFL world with a Super Bowl LVII victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. In that matchup, Kelce became the first tight end in NFL history to lead the Super Bowl victor in receiving yards twice, recording six receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown. 

Kelce hasn’t missed a game due to injury since his rookie season in 2013, where he played just one professional snap before a knee injury forced him to miss the remainder of the year. The 33-year-old has led Kansas City in receiving in three out of the last four seasons. If he were to miss opening night, it would be quite the opportunity for this unproven wide receiving corps.

Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashee Rice, Richie James, Justyn Ross and Justin Watson are all fighting for touches in this offense, and without Patrick Mahomes‘ solidified No. 1 pass catcher, it should be wide open. Additionally, Noah Gray and Blake Bell are listed as Kelce’s backups at tight end. Gray caught 28 passes for 299 yards and one touchdown last year, while Bell played in just three total games.

“I was in on that play, so I was running a route,” Moore said when asked about Kelce’s knee injury after practice Thursday, via The Athletic. “I was talking to somebody and he was limping, just walking off the field. It was a good sign to see him get up by himself and get off the field.”  

Kelce leads all tight ends in receiving yards per game since 2019 (79.8). He can become the seventh player in NFL history to record eight straight seasons with 1,000 receiving yards this year, but Week 1 may be in doubt.

It didn’t take long for Vegas to respond to the news, as the line has dropped 1.5 points to Chiefs -5, according to Caesars Sportsbook.