Chiefs' Travis Kelce Has 'a Chance' to Play Despite Knee Injury, Brother Jason Says
September 6, 2023
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce might still suit up in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season despite reportedly suffering a hyperextended knee, according to his brother Jason.
Jason said Wednesday on the WIP Morning Show he has spoken with Travis and that the injury doesn't sound too serious. While the eight-time Pro Bowler still has some swelling in the knee, he didn't have any structural damage.
The Philadelphia Eagles center said Travis will "have a chance to go" Thursday against the Detroit Lions as long as his swelling stays down.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Kelce's situation and echoed much of what Jason had divulged, adding the veteran pass-catcher has a bone bruise.
News of Kelce's injury came as a bit of a shock for a few reasons.
The Chiefs are about to kick off their Super Bowl title defense, and now they might be without one of their most important players. Kelce has also been remarkably durable since his season-ending microfracture surgery as a rookie in 2013, missing three games and none of which was due to an injury.
Especially at such an early stage of the season, Kansas City will figure to be a little more cautious with the 33-year-old. The last thing the team will want to do is see him aggravate the injury and get put on the shelf for an extended period.
It will obviously be great for the Chiefs if Kelce is good to go for Week 1. They've still yet to identify a worthy successor to Tyreek Hill, so they'll continue to lean heavily on their tight end to anchor the passing game.
But even if Kelce is ruled out for the Lions game, he appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario with his hyperextension.