The Kansas City Chiefs were hoping for some good news ahead of tonight’s game, but it looks as though they’ll be without all-world tight end Travis Kelce as they kick off the 2023 NFL season against the Detroit Lions.
Chiefs Will Have Limited Targets With Kelce Out
Sources: #Chiefs star TE Travis Kelce is out tonight against the #Lions. He may give it another try before kickoff. Either way, the bone bruise should not keep him out long-term. pic.twitter.com/n2TZXBmZUS
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2023
The injury came as a surprise. Earlier this week, Kelce suffered a hyperextended knee in a practice session, and his status going forward was put into immediate doubt. He was put on the injured list with a “questionable” designation, and the sportsbooks took notice by dropping the spread by a full 2 points, from 6.5 down to 4.5.
But the team was holding out hope. While the news was tough, Kelce was considered day-to-day, and would be a true game time decision. It was reported on Thursday morning that he would have an afternoon workout to test the strength and mobility of the knee, and that his status would be known after that point.
Apparently, the workout didn’t go so well. Just before 5:45PM Eastern, less than three hours before kickoff, Travis Kelce has been ruled out of the Chiefs Week 1 contest.
We Have Seen Mahomes And Reid Succeed Before
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is OUT for the #Lions game, per @Schultz_Report
He won’t play after all despite testing his knee. pic.twitter.com/KwYMydKj5e
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 7, 2023
His absence will be very noticeable. Kelce has been Patrick Mahomes’ top target for some time now, and carried much of the load last year when the team was adjusting to life without Tyreek Hill. But the offense didn’t miss a beat without the speedster, which was thanks in large part to a career year from their tight end.
So who will Mahomes be throwing to now that his top target is gone? Noah Gray is Kelce’s backup, and he has a bit of experience with Mahomes, having caught 28 passes for nearly 300 yards in 2022. His wide receivers will be Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore, none of whom he has an extensive history with beyond last season.
We saw last year what head coach Andy Reid was able to do with a less-than-stellar group of wide receivers. The team rode Juju Smith-Schuster as their #1 WR all the way to a Super Bowl victory, though it was Kelce who was far and away the team’s receiving leader across the board.
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