Chiefs’ All-Professional TE Travis Kelce hyperextends knee in follow for opener vs Detroit

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee throughout the Chiefs’ closing follow earlier than their opener towards Detroit, leaving the standing of the All-Professional tight finish in query when Kansas Metropolis faces the Lions on Thursday evening at Arrowhead Stadium.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned the harm occurred throughout their closing full exercise Tuesday however supplied no different particulars. Gamers within the locker room mentioned Kelce was harm on a play within the pink zone however was capable of limp off the sphere on his personal.

“We’ll simply see how he does going ahead,” Reid mentioned.

Assessments taken after follow confirmed that there was no ligament harm, an individual conversant in the outcomes informed The Related Press, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to debate the harm.

The 33-year-old Kelce has not missed a recreation to harm since his rookie season in 2013, when a microfracture process to repair a cartilage drawback in his knee ended it after one recreation. He has twice skipped meaningless video games to finish the common season.

“I used to be in on that play (that Kelce was harm),” Chiefs vast receiver Skyy Moore mentioned Tuesday. “I used to be speaking to any individual and he was limping, simply strolling off the sphere. It was signal to see him rise up by himself and get off the sphere.”

At some point earlier, Kelce proclaimed his physique felt “nearly as good because it’ll really feel all 12 months” heading into the brand new season.

“I’ve been very lucky that now we have the perfect coaching workers within the league, so getting within the coaching room, doing numerous rehab, and simply ensuring the physique is tuned up,” Kelce mentioned earlier than Monday’s follow. “There’s loads that goes into it. You simply must be an expert, and also you simply must be very lucky.

“Truly,” he mentioned, “there’s lot of fortune that goes into the sport and staying wholesome and being on the market each week.”

Kelce is coming off maybe the perfect season of his 10-year profession, catching a career-high 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was voted a first-team All-Professional for the fourth time and chosen to the Professional Bowl for an eighth consecutive season whereas serving to Kansas Metropolis win the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in 4 years.

“It’s robust and we love Kelce and we would like him to be on the market,” mentioned Chiefs tight finish Noah Grey, who can be in line to start out if Kelce is unavailable. “He’s been an amazing captain, an amazing chief for this crew, an amazing mentor for me and the remainder of the blokes.

“He’s as robust as they get,” Grey added. “I hope he’s on the market.”

The Chiefs even have Blake Bell on the 53-man roster with Matt Bushman and Gerrit Prince on the follow squad.

A lot of the accidents Kelce has sustained in his profession have been comparatively minor. He has twice been within the concussion protocol however was capable of return for the next recreation. He’s performed by a rib harm and an ankle sprain, had offseason surgical procedure on his shoulder and handled soreness in his knee throughout the 2020 playoffs.

“He’s one of many hardest guys on the market,” Bushman mentioned, “and he likes to play the sport.”

The drop-off is steep from Kelce to the remainder of the tight finish group. He has 814 catches for 10,344 yards and 69 touchdowns over the course of his profession; the backups mixed have 95 catches for 976 yards and three touchdowns.

The Chiefs are at the very least wholesome at vast receiver, which ought to take a few of the stress off the tight ends.

The massive query mark was speedy Kadarius Toney, who had surgical procedure for a torn meniscus early in coaching camp and missed all three preseason video games. The dynamic-if-injury susceptible playmaker returned to follow final week and made it by the rest of recreation week exercises with none issues.

If Kelce is unavailable, the Chiefs might have all seven of their vast receivers energetic on recreation day.

“We’ve bought to ensure now we have a plan on the way to use them,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy mentioned.