Travis Kelce will be rested by the Chiefs prior to the playoffs.
Fans received some unexpected news only hours before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 18 game against the Chargers: standout tight end Travis Kelce will not be playing.
The coaching staff is said to have made the decision with Kelce’s health in mind, hoping to prevent any injuries in the lead-up to next week’s Wild Card game.
Patrick Mahomes is joined by Travis Kelce on the Chiefs bench.
Although there were initial rumors that Kelce might participate to continue his remarkable run of eight straight seasons with 1,000 yards, the Chiefs have officially declared him out of Sunday’s regular-season finale.
Despite having limited practice time all week, the tight end showed up for the game healthy.
But instead of focusing on records, the team decided to rest important players in order to get ready for the postseason.
With the Chiefs having earned the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, it makes sense to rest Kelce as part of a larger plan to protect starting players like quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The coaching staff’s goal is to have a fully rested and healthy roster going into the postseason, with the team’s attention now entirely focused on the Wild Card game.
The focus switches to backup tight ends Blake Bell and Noah Gray in Kelce’s absence.
After 15 games, Travis Kelce will have finished his 2023 campaign with 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns.
His incredible seven-year run of at least 1,000 receiving yards per season comes to an end with this.
