Chiefs Avoid Major Travis Kelce Injury Scare in Blowout Win Over Falcons

Despite a brief injury scare in the first half, Travis Kelce appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario in the Chiefs' victory over Atlanta.

Nov 15, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) on the field during the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the Kansas City Chiefs' convincing 35-13 victory over the Falcons today, they didn't exactly come away unscathed. An injury to right guard Trey Smith in the first half knocked him out for the remainder of the contest.

As if losing another starter on the offensive line wasn't enough, KC also watched Travis Kelce go down with an injury scare in the first quarter. The Chiefs were already short-handed offensively entering Sunday's matchup with Kenneth Walker III unavailable, making the situation even more concerning.

Kelce's left leg was rolled underneath him awkwardly on a tackle by DeMarcco Hellams on his first catch of the afternoon. After walking off under his own power and briefly being checked out by the training staff, Kelce went to the locker room to receive further evaluation.

Travis Kelce #chiefs

Left leg/ankle gets rolled up on. Being evaluated on the sideline pic.twitter.com/Sa7Z5icOqw

— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) November 15, 2026

Thankfully, Kelce was cleared to return and made his way back to the field in the second quarter, finishing the day with two receptions for 30 yards. He wasn't relied upon heavily, considering the score was largely out of hand by the second half.

After the win, head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Kelce has indeed avoided the worst-case scenario with his lower-leg and referred to it as a minor calf ailment.

"Kelce left for a bit with a calf [injury]. He's been battling his ankle, which is kind of part of it," Reid told reporters during his postgame media availability. "He got landed on during that first catch and twisted up a bit."

It was an all-around dominant showing for the Chiefs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, totaling 470 yards of offense and three passing touchdowns thrown by Patrick Mahomes. Kelce wasn't able to get in on his usual share of the action, though, as he was clearly playing through significant discomfort.

During the Chiefs' Week 6 victory over the Chargers, Kelce had his ankle worked on throughout the first half with a similar issue. Just like today, he would return to the contest and occasionally head to the sidelines for treatment.

Nov 8, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) leaves the field after defeating the New York Jets at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although the initial update from Reid is encouraging, it remains to be seen whether Kelce will be limited at all during practice this upcoming week. Kansas City knows it must be extremely cautious with its veteran tight end, especially with the postseason quickly approaching.

Fellow tight end Jared Wiley also injured his ankle in the opening half and was ruled out shortly thereafter. Reid later revealed that he fractured it, which could effectively end his season. Kansas City can't afford to be without Kelce with its depth already being tested.

At 37 years old lugging around 250 pounds of body weight, lower-body injuries are always concerning at this stage of his career. However, the hope is that Kelce can play through it without it hindering his play too much down the stretch. Even with lingering pain below his aging knees, Kelce still looks like one of the NFL's premier tight ends when he's active.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news and updates throughout the game and after the action has concluded.