Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce returned to practice Wednesday and is on track to play in Week 2. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Thursday that the decision will ultimately be made by coaches later this week.
On his podcast with his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, the Chiefs All-Pro tight end expressed frustration about missing Week 1, a game Kansas City lost to the Detroit Lions 20-19. Kelce reportedly begged coaches to play before the game but they did not allow him to do so.
“Seriously though, I did feel like an a—— for not being able to be out there Week 1,” Kelce said on his podcast. “I know you’ve got to be very fortunate to play this game. I take a lot of this to heart, being able to be out there every single week.”
Kelce went on to say that he takes pride in his durability week to week in the NFL, which made the injury even worse for him. Between 2014 and 2022, he only missed three games, two of which were meaningless end-of-season games in which he was rested.
“You were kind of talking about the toughness rating on Madden — I love to put that on my shoulders, on my resume, that I make myself available every single week,” Kelce said. “And the last practice going into the first game, I got a little lazy on some of my movement and sure enough, offed myself and couldn’t play in the first game.”
In an era of the league where tight ends typically have a reduced role on offense, Kelce stands out as the lead pass catcher on the league’s best offense. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes clearly struggled without Kelce on the field, as several wide receivers dropped passes that went on to cost the team the game. Based on his personal determination, however, Kelce seems to be trending in the right direction and could convince coaches to let him appear in Week 2.
