Travis Kelce’s availability is suddenly one of the biggest questions hanging over the Chiefs as they head into Sunday’s road matchup with the Broncos.
Kansas City got a boost this week when Kelce opened Wednesday’s practice as a full participant, but that changed on Thursday. Per Chiefs senior reporter Matt McMullen, the veteran tight end was downgraded to limited participation.
That matters because Kelce is still doing the heavy lifting in the Chiefs’ passing game. He leads Kansas City with 343 receiving yards and is tied for the team lead with 24 catches and two receiving touchdowns. In a spot where first place in the division is on the line, Patrick Mahomes will almost certainly want his most trusted target available.
Kelce, now 37, remains the most dependable piece in a pass-catching group that still has some holes. Rashee Rice is back and can bring a jolt of explosiveness, but the Chiefs still need the kind of security blanket Kelce provides, especially in critical moments.
Kansas City has steadied its backfield issues and taken back control of the AFC West for the moment, but the passing game still has some moving parts. Rice is not always available, Xavier Worthy has not yet found consistency, and Tyquan Thornton’s season took a hit when he suffered a serious ankle injury during a career game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Even with age creeping up, Kelce has remained a reliable presence. He has played in 15 or more games every season except his rookie year in 2013, and he has continued to make an impact despite Father Time closing in.
The Chiefs will get one more look at him on Friday before deciding on his injury status for Sunday’s game in Denver.
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The added pressure has only intensified since the Chiefs brought in Justin Tucker on the practice squad, giving the team another accomplished leg in the building and another voice in the mix. Both kickers have offered advice aimed at helping Butker sharpen things up, and for now the job still belongs to the player Kansas City trusts most when the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Chiefs, the fit is easy to understand. They know Brown, they know what he can do when healthy, and they have a history of turning to players who already understand the system. The question is whether Philadelphia decides to move him at all, and if it does, how much of a return it would take to make a deal worth doing for a receiver whose recent production has been muted. [Read more 🡒]