Travis Kelce injury: Chiefs tight end ruled a game-time decision by CEO Clark Hunt

The Chiefs won’t make a decision on the playing status of Travis Kelce until right before kick off of tonight’s opener against the Lions.

This news was confirmed by Clark Hunt, the Chiefs CEO and team owner. Hunt appeared on NFL Network Thursday morning to chat about the Chiefs-Lions matchup. And the main plot point — at least leading up to kickoff — is whether Kelce will be on the field.

“I know he had a little bit of a setback the other day with a minor knee injury,” Hunt said. “We hope that he’ll be able to go tonight. He’ll be a game-time decision, but he’s somebody who loves to compete, so I wouldn’t bet against him being on the field tonight.”

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt on Travis Kelce's availability vs. Lions:

"I know he had a little bit of a setback the other day with a minor knee injury. We hope that he'll be able to go tonight. He'll be a game-time decision, but he's somebody who loves to compete, so I wouldn't bet…

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 7, 2023

Travis Kelce was participating in a light workout on Tuesday when he hyperextended his knee. By Wednesday, doctors determined that the tight end’s injury probably was only a bone bruise. There didn’t appear to be ligament or structural damage to the joint.

Then later in the day, the Chiefs placed him on the injured list as questionable to play against the Lions in tonight’s much-anticipated NFL opener. Millions of football fans have waited for this moment since the Chiefs eased past the Eagles to win February’s Super Bowl. Kelce is one of the most recognizable players in the league. And fans, no doubt, will be disappointed if Patrick Mahomes is on the field without his favorite target.

Travis Kelce is questionable for tomorrow's game.

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 6, 2023

There is motivation for Travis Kelce to at least try to play. After all, he hasn’t missed a game for an injury since 2013. That was his rookie year. The last game action he mssed came in 2021, when Covid protocols benched him.

Reports suggested that team doctors planned to test Kelce’s knee again sometime Thursday morning to give them better information about whether he can play tonight. Meanwhile, the Chiefs opened as a 6.5-point betting favorite early in the week. But the iffiness surrounding Kelce’s status shuffled the spread. Kansas City now is a 4.5-point favorite.

Jason Kelce, Travis’ older brother, told Philadelphia station WIP that the two spoke Tuesday night. Jason Kelce, the starting center for the Eagles, said it was all about the swelling.

“I know he’s got some swelling going on. But it sounds like as long as they can get that down, he’s going to have a chance to go. The ligaments and everything are intact. Structurally, from what we know right now, his knee’s fine. So really it’s about getting that swelling down and seeing how bruised that bone is,” Jason Kelce said. “Because if you guys have ever had those, it can be pretty painful, especially if it’s in a spot that’s rubbing all the time, then that can kind of shut down your muscles and do other things.”