Chiefs TE Travis Kelce suddenly questionable for AFC championship game due to back injury
Travis Kelce and the Chiefs will host the Bengals on Sunday with a trip to Super Bowl LVII on the line
The Kansas City Chiefs might be without Travis Kelce for the AFC championship game on Sunday.
Kelce, despite being a full participant in practice Friday, was a late addition to the team’s injury report. He was listed as questionable for their game against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a back injury, though specifics of that injury are not yet known.
#Chiefs TE Travis Kelce fully participated in practice today, but he was added to the injury report with a back issue and is listed as questionable for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the #Bengals.
QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) has no designation and is good to go.— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 27, 2023
While it seems likely he will play, barring any setbacks between now and Sunday afternoon, the Chiefs would be missing a big part of their offense should Kelce be sidelined.
Kelce had 1,338 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns this season, his ninth in Kansas City. He had 98 yards and two touchdowns on 14 catches in last week’s divisional-round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Chiefs also listed receivers Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson as questionable. Hardman is dealing with a pelvis issue, and Watson missed practice Friday because of an illness.
The good news for the Chiefs, however, is that quarterback Patrick Mahomes seems fully healthy after his ankle injury last week. Mahomes, after briefly leaving the game against the Jaguars due to a high-ankle sprain, practiced fully all week and was not on the injury report Friday.