Will Travis Kelce play tonight (and if not, what will happen)?

The clock is ticking toward kickoff.

When tonight’s game between the Lions and Chiefs begins, will tight end Travis Kelce be in uniform? And if he is, how much will he play?

And if he isn’t, what will happen with the Kansas City offense?

As it currently stands, there’s no damage to Kelce’s knee ligaments. There is no pain. He has a bone bruise, with lingering swelling. It will be his decision as to whether to play.

There’s a chance he’ll dress and not play much — or not play at all. He has a $44,000 roster bonus tied to being on the game-day roster.

He could decide to play, given that he’ll have extra time to prepare for the Week 2 game at Jacksonville.

If he doesn’t play, what does that mean for the Chiefs? Of the three games he has missed since becoming the starter in 2014, two featured a general resting of the team’s starters pre-playoffs. In December 2021, Kelce missed a game against the Steelers due to COVID.

In that game, quarterback Patrick Mahomes targeted 10 different receivers, with nine of them catching passes. Also, Mahomes had no rushing attempts.

And so it’s possible the Chiefs will just spread the ball around, instructing Mahomes to be patient and if necessary buy time with his feet and ultimately deliver to whoever is open.

It’s a big deal to not have Kelce at full strength, obviously. But they still have Mahomes. Which is a pretty significant piece of the puzzle.