Travis Kelce - Getty Images
The Kansas City Chiefs, who won the Super Bowl last year, might not have one of their key players for their first game of the 2023 season against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. Chiefs’ head coach, Andy Reid, shared that star tight end Travis Kelce had a knee injury during Tuesday’s training, as reported by ESPN.
Uncertainty for Week 1
There’s uncertainty about Kelce’s availability for Week 1, but experts like Jonathan Jones from CBS Sports think it’s not a long-lasting injury. The Chiefs plan to wait for the swelling in his knee to go down before making a final decision. On Tuesday, the official injury report listed Kelce as a limited participant.
Expert Opinions on Kelce’s Injury
Reid mentioned, “We’ll just see how he does going forward,” according to Adam Schefter.
After some tests on Tuesday, the Chiefs believe that Kelce’s ACL (a part of his knee) is okay, but there’s swelling and inflammation in his knee. They will check his condition again on Wednesday to decide if he can play in Thursday’s game.
Kelce’s Remarkable Career
Kelce is known as the best tight end in the NFL. Last season, he had a fantastic performance with 110 catches, 1,338 yards, and 12 touchdowns. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl, and Kelce even made history by leading in receiving yards in two Super Bowl wins as a tight end.
Backup Options
Kelce hasn’t missed a game due to injury since his rookie year in 2013. He’s been the top receiver for the Chiefs in three of the last four seasons. If he can’t play in the first game, it’s a big chance for the less experienced wide receivers on the team.
Several players like Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashee Rice, Richie James, Justyn Ross, and Justin Watson are all competing for catches. Also, Noah Gray and Blake Bell are backup options for Kelce at tight end. Gray had a decent year last season, catching 28 passes for 299 yards and one touchdown, while Bell played in only three games.
Kelce’s Injury: How It’s Shifting Betting Odds
When asked about Kelce’s injury, Moore mentioned, “I was in on that play, so I was running a route. I was talking to somebody and he was limping, just walking off the field. It was a good sign to see him get up by himself and get off the field.”
Kelce has been the best tight end in terms of receiving yards per game since 2019 (79.8). He has a chance to set a record with eight straight seasons of 1,000 receiving yards, but his availability for Week 1 is uncertain.
The news of Kelce’s injury quickly affected the betting odds in Vegas, with the Chiefs’ line dropping 1.5 points to Chiefs -5, according to Caesars Sportsbook.
Source: CBS Sports
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