For a number of years, Travis Kelce had been the iron man at the TE position. In nine consecutive seasons, he did not miss a game, but that changed in 2023. Kelce was dealing with a bone bruise on his knee in Week 1. That caused him to miss his first game due to injury since his rookie season in 2013.
The injuries have not stopped for the All-Pro TE this season. In the Chiefs’ Week 5 win vs. the Vikings, Kelce injured his ankle. However, the veteran TE still returned to the game and ended up scoring a touchdown. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that Kelce has been limited in practice this week. Barring a setback, the 34-year-old is trending towards playing in Week 6 vs. the Broncos.
Travis Kelce is expected to be available tonight vs. the Broncos in Week 6
From @gmfb: #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (ankle) is trending upwards and should play tonight barring a setback. Meanwhile, RB Javonte Williams (quad) is set to return for the #Broncos. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/hVTg5rwaeF
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 12, 2023
When healthy, Travis Kelce is one of the most dynamic football players on the field. He’s a former QB and he sees the game differently than most players do. Kelce can read coverages on the line and knows where to be when the QB needs help. It also helps that he has arguably the best QB in the league throwing to him. The combination of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will surely go down as one of the greatest in league history.
However, it’s clear that Kelce has not been 100 percent this season. A bone bruise kept him out in Week 1 and now he has an ankle injury. That’s two lower-body injuries for the 34-year-old in a short amount of time. It’s limited how effective he can be this year. His (55.5) receiving yards per game is the lowest of his career since 2015.
Every player on the Chiefs’ injury report is indeed practicing, including tight end Travis Kelce. Obviously, his ankle is taped up. Some video attached to the post. pic.twitter.com/EDEsEpLDOB
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) October 10, 2023
Despite the injuries, Kelce is still leading the team in catches (27) and receiving yards (222) this season. When he’s on the field, Kelce is undoubtedly Patrick Mahomes’ #1 target. They have an established connection that has helped win the team two Super Bowls in the last four seasons. Kansas City has done a nice job of spreading the ball around to their players and not relying on Kelce as much as they have in the past. The Chiefs are a team that is thinking about being 100 percent once the postseason starts. Managing in-season injuries is a huge part of that.
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