Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee in practice two days before the Kansas City Chiefs begin defense of their Super Bowl title.
The All-Pro caught 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022, but the Chiefs are maneuvering the game plan with the expectation Kelce will be on the sideline when the Detroit Lions arrive at Arrowhead Field on Thursday night.
“We’ll just see how he does moving forward,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said.
Kelce went down during a red-zone installation period in practice.
There was no sign of star defensive tackle Chris Jones on Tuesday, scuttling reports the contract holdout could end before Week 1. Reid said there was nothing new to report with Jones.
–Cowboys owner confident Dak Prescott is secure in Dallas
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stirred a bit of drama when he said he unilaterally pulled the trigger on acquiring backup quarterback Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones doesn’t believe the acquisition changes anything for quarterback Dak Prescott and said the plan remains to work toward another long-term extension with his starting quarterback.
“Those contracts, those types of numbers, especially the big ones, you live with constantly,” Jones told 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday. “That’s always on your mind. There’s never a time where it goes away. We expect Dak to be with us a long time.”
–Steelers expect 49ers holdout Nick Bosa to play Sunday
NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa remains a holdout, working out away from the San Francisco 49ers for the past five weeks while hoping for a new contract.
Even as 49ers general manager John Lynch casts doubt on Bosa reporting to the team, passing a physical, practicing and playing at Pittsburgh on Sunday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin implored his team to expect the All-Pro on the field.
“That’s what those guys do,” Tomlin said, drawing parallels to the 2021 holdout of J.J. Watt that ended the week of the opener. “They show up and they are who they are, and so we expect him to be there as a prudent approach to take. And if he’s going to be there, we know the type of player that he intends on being, and so that’s something to be dealt with.”
–Kupp of woe for Rams
Cooper Kupp is trending the wrong direction in Los Angeles. Head coach Sean McVay said the Rams’ top receiver had a setback in his recovery from a strained hamstring and spent multiple days with a specialist in Minnesota this week.
His status for Week 1 at Seattle is in doubt. Van Jefferson would rise to the No. 1 receiver role on the depth chart if Kupp doesn’t play.
Kupp, 30, was first injured in a training-camp practice Aug. 2, leaving the field 30 minutes into a workout. He was originally expected to be out 1-2 weeks but he missed all three preseason games.
Kupp played nine games last season before a season-ending ankle injury but led the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16) in 2021.
The Rams are set to open the season Sept. 10 at Seattle, leaving little time for the 2021 All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection to resume on-field work.
–Bears list Nathan Peterman as No. 2
Nathan Peterman is the backup quarterback to Justin Fields on the depth chart released by the Chicago Bears on Tuesday.
Peterman is ahead of rookie Tyler Bagent, the rookie Division II product who excelled in preseason to win a roster spot. Bagent is No. 3 but remains on the active roster.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Peterman, who was on the practice squad most of last season, is an asset to Fields.
“Him and Justin learned the offense together, so to speak, so they’re speaking the same language. They understand it really well. I think it’s good to have him in the room,” Eberflus said.
–Field Level Media