The Kansas City Chiefs may be without not one, but two of their very best players when they kick off the 2023 NFL season against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.
The NFL regular season begins this week and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will lead the way as they look to get off to a fast start against the Lions in a battle of top five units in our latest NFL offense rankings.
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The Lions are a team on the rise, especially on the offensive side of the ball, so the Chiefs already had their hands full in that area. However, things will be even tougher than expected because they will be without their top pass rusher since Chris Jones and the organization are still in the midst of a contract dispute.
Yet, the Kansas City offense may also have a difficult time keeping pace with Detroit on Thursday because quarterback Patrick Mahomes likely will be without his top target. On Tuesday afternoon, head coach Andy Reid revealed that Travis Kelce had hyperextended his knee during practice and now his status for their Week 1 matchup is uncertain.
Kansas City Chiefs could lose Travis Kelce for as much as a month from hyperextended knee
- Travis Kelce stats (2022): 110 catches, 1,338 yards, 12 TD, 78 1st downs, 12.2 YPC
Depending on the severity of the hyperextension, the recovery time can be anywhere between a few weeks to even a month for such an injury (via the Cleveland Clinic). This means the Chiefs would be lucky at this rate if the eight-time Pro Bowler is even available for their Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Considering his importance to the team’s offense, it is likely the organization will be cautious with the 33-year-old to avoid a long-term injury.
Kelce’s absence will leave a major void for the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday after the 2022 All-Pro racked up an outstanding 110 catches, 1338 yards, and a career-best 12 touchdowns for the team last season.