KC Chiefs' Andy Reid Provides Update on Travis Kelce Ankle Injury
The Kansas City Chiefs are just two days away from their Thursday Night Football outing against the Denver Broncos, placing an accelerated timeline on injury rehab and subsequent decisions on who will play in Week 6. Following an ankle injury he suffered on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings — what's being described as a low-ankle sprain — all eyes are on tight end Travis Kelce's progress this week.
After the team issued an estimated injury report on Monday that saw Kelce listed with a "did not participate" designation, head coach Andy Reid revealed that the 34-year-old was set to join the rest of his teammates on Tuesday afternoon. Additionally, Reid said Kelce is "feeling a little bit better" and will continue to be monitored as he receives treatment for the injury.
Near halftime of Week 5's outing in Minneapolis, Kelce suffered the non-contact injury when he tried to plant his foot into the ground. He exited the game and underwent an X-ray during the halftime break, spending a bit of time early in the third quarter testing out the ankle to see if he'd be able to make a return. He eventually got back on the field, hauling in five passes and scoring a touchdown on a critical drive during the outing. Kelce finished the game, even logging a rep on defense as he prepared for a Hail Mary pass that never left the hands of Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
On Tuesday afternoon, quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised Kelce for his toughness:
"It's tough, man. That's a legendary type [of] game. I mean, to be able to battle through that. I didn't see the injury live, so I didn't know how bad it was but looking back at it now and seeing how the ankle rolled and then being able to come back out there, play at a high level and score a touchdown that we needed to win the game... it speaks to not only the talent that he has, but the toughness that he has. And the reason that he's been out there week in and week out [is] because he'll battle through anything to go out there and play."
Kelce's return to practice is a positive development for Kansas City, especially considering there isn't a ton of time between now and Thursday night's Week 6 matchup. Kelce was adamant after the Vikings game that he wanted to push to play this week, with this serving as a good first step toward making that happen. Kansas City doesn't have media availability on Wednesday, but more clarity on Kelce's status should be coming regardless.
