Report: Travis Kelce ‘probably unlikely’ to play in Week 1 vs. Lions

Update, Sept. 6 — Kelce didn’t practice on Wednesday and is officially listed as questionable for the season opener on Thursday. Typically, if a player doesn’t practice on the final day of the week before a game, they won’t play. Kelce is so valuable, though, that if he feels good on Thursday and his knee makes it through warm-ups, Kansas City may fire him up.

Update, Sept. 5 — Kelce doesn’t have any damage in his ligaments after undergoing tests. But it appears he’s “probably unlikely” to play in Week 1 vs. the Lions depending on how the swelling in his knee is the next few days, per Albert Breer.

If this is in fact the case, and Kelce is unlikely to play, finding a replacement on the waiver wire will be key. There’s still time for the swelling to go down and Kelce can be ready for Thursday night. If he’s ruled out, be prepared. If you’re drafting the next few days, proceed with caution but also know this shouldn’t be a long-term ailment. Kelce could play Week 1 or be back as soon as Week 2 it seems.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Tuesday that tight end Travis Kelce injured his knee in practice and his status is unknown at the moment. We will update as news comes in. Kelce was officially listed as a limited participant at practice, which is a good sign. The injury is being considered a hyperextension of the knee.

If Kelce can’t go to start the season on Thursday night against the Lions, it would be a huge blow to the Chiefs offense. Kelce is by far Patrick Mahomes’ top target and the engine of that offense. The Chiefs tight end backups are Noah Gray and Blake Bell, so there is a big drop off in talent. Kelce’s targets would likely siphon toward RB Jerick McKinnon and slot receiver Skyy Moore, while Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, Justin Watson and Rashee Rice could see extra work.

As for betting, the spread on DraftKings Sportsbook has moved from Chiefs -6.5 to Chiefs -5.5 as a result of the injury news. We don’t know if Kelce will be out or not at this point but we do know he likely will carry a designation. That means we won’t know for sure if Kelce is playing until inactives drop on Thursday or closer to kickoff. This will make it tough to predict which way to lean. If the spread moves any more, that could be an indicator that Kelce is more likely out. If it’s this back-and-forth between -5.5, -6 and -6.5, then bettors are still trusting the Chiefs a bit.