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Tight end Travis Kelce has officially been ruled out for the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium. On Sunday morning, he was unable to clear the necessary COVID-19 protocols that would have allowed him to be activated. He was removed from the Covid reserve list but unfortunately will still be unavailable in Week 16.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce officially ruled out in Week 16
Travis Kelce was one of at least 14 players on the Kansas City Chiefs' roster who were placed on the COVID-19 reserve list in the days leading up to their Week 16 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kelce was also one of three players, along with Nick Bolton and Lucas Niang, who were removed from the COVID-19 reserve list but will not be ready in time for the game this week.
Nick Bolton leads the Chiefs defense with 102 tackles this season, but Travis Kelce is a huge loss for their offense. Kelce ranks second on the team in many offensive categories, including 83 receptions, 1,066 receiving yards, seven receiving touchdowns, eight total touchdowns, 12.8 receiving yards per catch and 58 first downs.
Travis Kelce is not just one of the biggest weapons in the Chiefs, he is also one of the best offensive players in the entire NFL. He leads all tight ends in receiving yards this season and ranks seventh in the NFL in receiving yards among all players.
The Chiefs offense officially recorded 4,150 receiving yards prior to Week 14 of the 2021 NFL season. Travis Kelce has accounted for 1,066 receiving yards, more than a quarter of the total.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will have to adjust to running the Chiefs offense without Travis Kelce, one of his favorite options in the passing game. The last time Mahomes played a game without Kelce in the lineup was all the way back in 2017. It was the final game of the season and the first start of Patrick Mahomes' career: a 27-24 victory over the Denver Broncos.
The good news for the Kansas City Chiefs is that their top wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, will play in Week 16. He was listed as questionable after being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list earlier in the week, but he has cleared the necessary protocols and gained approval to be activated. He and the rest of the Chiefs offense will have to pick up the slack in Kelce's absence.
