Chad Ochocinco puts Chiefs fans at ease regarding Travis Kelce's injury status
The Kansas City Chiefs aerial attack was dealt an alarming blow on Tuesday when tight end Travis Kelce suffered a hyper-extended knee during practice.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the injury is not believed to be a long-term issue but has left his status "in doubt" for Thursday night's opener against the Detroit Lions.
While the prospect of being without the eight-time Pro Bowler is daunting for Kansas City, former NFL wideout Chad Ochocinco insists Chiefs Kingdom has nothing to worry about. The 11-year NFL veteran took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to give an amateur diagnosis on Kelce's knee injury, ensuring the tight end will be ready to go by kickoff.
As for the professionals aiding the injured Chief star, initial testing points toward Kelce's ACL being intact. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the team will run additional testing on Wednesday to determine his availability vs. the Lions.
Kelce's importance to the Chief's passing game cannot be overstated. The future Hall of Famer has posted seven consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons and is coming off a 2022 campaign where he was targeted 51 times more than any other Chiefs pass catcher.
Still, the defending champions should look at the 33-year-old's health through a larger lens. With aspirations of hoisting the Lombardi trophy for the third time in five years, ensuring Kelce is healthy for a deep playoff run is crucial and far more pivotal than suiting up in Week 1.
In the event that Kelce is ruled out for Thursday's game, the Chiefs would turn to Noah Gray and Blake Bell at tight end. However, it's the wide receiver position that would likely be tasked with picking up the slack in the passing game.
Keep an eye on the trio of Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Justyn Ross at wideout. The latter, in particular, is a player who garnered tons of buzz in training camp and tied for the team lead with two touchdown receptions in the preseason. Checking in at 6-foot-4-inches and 210 pounds, Ross could prove a viable red zone target in Kelce's potential absence.
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