Chiefs list TE Travis Kelce as questionable on the injury report after knee injury
It's rare for the football world to be anxiously awaiting the release of an injury report. But everyone wanted to know if Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a chance to play in Thursday's NFL regular season opener.
We still don't know.
The Chiefs listed Kelce as questionable on the injury report for their game against the Detroit Lions, which means it's uncertain if he'll play. The Chiefs could have listed him as doubtful or out, which would have told everyone more about Kelce's status. Players listed as doubtful are unlikely to play. Questionable is closer to 50-50.
Travis Kelce is questionable for tomorrow's game.
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 6, 2023
With the designation, the Chiefs believe Kelce still has a chance to play in the opener through a knee injury. Kelce hasn't missed a game due to injury since his rookie year of 2013. Even if Kelce does play, there should be a question over whether the 33-year-old tight end will be close to full speed.
Football fans — particularly those in Kansas City and the ones who drafted Kelce in the first round of their fantasy football drafts — were shocked on Tuesday when news broke that Kelce injured his knee in practice. The betting market reacted too, with the Chiefs going from a 6.5-point favorite for Thursday night's opener against the Lions to a 4.5-point favorite at BetMGM by Wednesday. It's practically unheard of for a tight end to be worth two points to a point spread, but Kelce is unique. He's Patrick Mahomes' biggest weapon in the Chiefs' passing offense and it's not close.
Reports later came out that Kelce's injury wasn't considered major, but Kelce's status for Week 1 was still in doubt due to what was reported by NFL Media as a bone bruise. The Chiefs had to put out an injury report on Wednesday afternoon.
On top of the Kelce drama, star defensive lineman Chris Jones has been holding out. He teased fans on Wednesday, saying he doesn't know if he'll be playing or not against the Lions.
Thursday night was supposed to be a celebration of the Chiefs' Super Bowl title last season, and it still will be. But there will be a lot more questions than expected once the game kicks off.
