At 37, and in his 14th NFL season, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had an injury scare during the Week 6 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Kelce suffered an ankle injury but managed to return for the remainder of the game and also suited up against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7.
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However, concerns about his health resurfaced when the Chiefs listed him as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. Kansas City has now provided a positive update, as Kelce was listed as a full participant in Friday’s practice ahead of the Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Kelce’s injury occurred in the first quarter during the opening drive at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chargers. The 37-year-old tight end caught a screen pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and attempted to advance the ball upfield. However, Kelce gained only a short distance before the Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley brought him down with a tackle.
During the tackle, Kelce’s right ankle appeared to get caught underneath him and bent awkwardly. He remained on the ground briefly, visibly uncomfortable, before gingerly getting back up. He left the field briefly, yes. But the tight end managed to return to finish the matchup. He caught four receptions for 53 yards, as the Chiefs won 22-6.
During the week heading into the Seahawks matchup, however, head coach Andy Reid shared a concerning update on his tight end.
“Kelce tweaked his ankle there. Continued to play, might be a little sore tomorrow, but he did a nice job tonight,” said Reid.
However, Travis Kelce returned to play against the Seahawks and caught four receptions for 44 yards. In the process, he became the fifth all-time in career receptions (1,104). However, Kelce didn’t care about the milestone as the Chiefs suffered their first loss of the 2026 season after dropping the Week 7 matchup 20-3 against the Seahawks. Following the game, Kelce addressed the bitter taste in his mouth on his New Heights podcast.
“We’re coming off a game where we didn’t perform well in really any phase. It’s got to fire you the f*ck up, man. You’ve got to have a nasty taste in your mouth when you lose,” said Kelce. “You can’t be okay with being mediocre or looking around like, ‘I wasn’t the reason.’ You’ve got to f—ing have a nasty, disgusting taste in [in your mouth],” said Kelce. “Losing in this league and find the f—ing answers. All that means is you’ve got to f—ing go to work.”
Up next, the Chiefs will face the Broncos. While the team defeated the Broncos in their season opener, Kelce knows their opponent has played good football since their first meeting this season. And considering the Chiefs are coming off a disappointing loss against Seattle, Kelce knows facing Denver will be a challenge in Week 8.
“Denver is playing a lot f***ing better than they did that first game,” said Kelce. “They’ve caught a stride here, and their offense is starting to put up a lot of points. They’re getting back (linebacker Jonathon) Cooper, who is a huge part of that pass rush and being stout in that run game. And you know it’s going to be another challenge.”
That said, the Chiefs are 5-1 after losing the first game of the season. Against the Broncos, however, the team will certainly be looking to come back stronger.