Travis Kelce injury update: Latest on Chiefs TE for fantasy football Week 3

Travis Kelce terrified the fantasy football world when he hyperextended his knee ahead of Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. He was selected in the first round of just about every fantasy draft this year, so a major injury could completely derail many manager's seasons before it ever really got started.

While Kelce avoided the worst-case scenario by showing no significant ligament damage in his knee, he was still forced to miss the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 1 matchup against the Detroit Lions. He was able to return to the football field for the following game, but he's still apparently dealing with the same knee injury ahead of Week 3.

Travis Kelce injury update

Travis Kelce

While Travis Kelce made his highly-anticipated return in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he wasn't quite himself in terms of his usually dominant level of production. The Kansas City Chiefs star recorded just 26 yards as he worked his way back from a knee injury.

According to head coach Andy Reid in a postgame press conference:

"You have to give him credit. He battled through the thing, he made some big catches for us, and he made it through the game after missing the first one. I’m sure his leg didn’t feel 100%, but he’s not going to let you know that. He’s going to work through it and that’s what he did.”

Reid is clearly acknowledging that his tight end is still not fully recovered physically but is willing to battle through it and continue to try to play. He will presumably be back again for Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, unless he suffers any sort of setback.

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What happened to Travis Kelce?

Kelce injury

In the week leading up to the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions, Kelce hyperextended his knee during a practice session. It was initially feared that he could have suffered season-ending ligament damage, but he was luckily able to avoid such a devastating diagnosis.

He has missed just one game so far after returning in Week 2 to help the Chiefs defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars in a crucial AFC showdown.

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While it's encouraging that Kelce was able to get back on the field, his sluggish production, as well as Andy Reid's postgame comments, clearly indicate that the injury is still negatively impacting him. Another week of treatment and potential recovery will theoretically get him closer to being back to the elite weekly performer that has been for years with the Chiefs.

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When will Travis Kelce return?

Kelce update

Following his return in Week 2 for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kelce recently made an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" to discuss where he currently stands in his recovery process.

Kelce said:

“I’m not even thinking about it anymore. We’re past that. I felt like an absolute idiot not being able to be out there for my team. That’s why you always gotta make sure everything’s firing in the body, make sure you’re all tuned up and really thinking about the movements that you make out there on the field so you don’t hurt the team on Sunday.”

It sounds like he is well on his way back to being fully recovered, as he claims that he's fully past it ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Chicago Bears.

Fantasy football managers who spent their first-round draft pick on the superstar tight end are likely pleased to hear this, as their lineups have been missing his huge numbers throughout the first two games. An enticing matchup against a weak Bears defense could be just what he needs to bounce back strong.