The Kansas City Chiefs may have to play Thursday’s season opener against the Detroit Lions without one of their best players.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that star tight end Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee at practice on Tuesday. Thus, his status for Thursday’s game is up in the air right now.
Travis Kelce hyper-extended his knee at practice today, per Andy Reid
Kelce’s status for Thursday night’s opener vs the Lions is uncertain 👀 pic.twitter.com/HMzA5Clo61
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) September 5, 2023
Kelce, 33, was selected with the No. 63 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft after a three-season stint playing college football at the University of Cincinnati. His best season as a Bearcat came during his third and final season with the team. Kelce accumulated 722 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 13 games played with the Bearcats during the 2012 season.
He has played 10 seasons in the NFL, all as a member of the Chiefs franchise. He ended up with 1,338 receiving yards on 110 receptions — which equates to 12.2 yards per reception — in 17 appearances with Kansas City during the 2022 regular season (all starts).
Furthermore, he racked up 12 receiving touchdowns, and his longest reception was for a whopping 52 yards.
Those numbers were good enough for the tight end to finish sixth in the 2022 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year voting as well as earn a Pro Bowl selection, the eighth of his pro career. Only Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs received more votes.
Kelce carried over his excellent play from the 2022 regular season into the postseason. He was arguably Kansas City’s best receiver in the 2023 Super Bowl against the Eagles.
The 33-year-old totaled a team-high 81 receiving yards to go along with one receiving touchdown in a game the Chiefs went on to win by a final score of 38-35. No other Chiefs player finished the game with more than 53 receiving yards.
Hopefully, Kelce will be good to go for the Chiefs’ season opener against the Lions on Thursday. After all, he is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and among the league’s must-see talents.
