KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 17: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Divisional Playoff at Arrowhead Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Chiefs fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Travis Kelce is already back on the training camp field after a brief injury scare on Thursday.
The Chiefs offense possesses plenty of star talent but Travis Kelce is an integral part of the team’s offensive attack. That’s why Kansas City fans had a right to be nervous when he was carted off the training camp field on Thursday.
Fortunately for the Chiefs and their passionate fans, Kelce returned to the field on Saturday showing no ill effects from the hip and back tightness that caused him to leave practice just 48 hours earlier. There’s zero chance that Kansas City officials would permit Kelce to rejoin practice if they had any concern over his physical condition.
In other words, Kelce must be 100 percent. He’s too important for the Chiefs’ hopes of recapturing a Super Bowl title this season to risk so early in the preseason. The team is much more concerned with making sure Kelce is ready to go when the regular season begins than getting him any reps with Patrick Mahomes during the preseason.
Chiefs fans shouldn’t be surprised if Kelce does receive significant time off before Week 1 arrives. He’s a veteran that won’t benefit from extra work with the first team. Keeping Kelce and the other veterans fresh will be a high priority for the organization all preseason long. Leaving him on the sidelines is the best way to keep the All-Pro tight end healthy.
Most NFL teams will suffer some injury scares in the preseason but the Chiefs can consider themselves lucky that they’ve dodged a big one. Kelce’s return to the practice field should set everyone’s mind at ease.