The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to recover from their first loss of the season, and it was a rough one. The Chiefs managed to scrape out only three points while giving up 20 to the defending Super Bowl champions Seahawks in Seattle last Sunday night.
As they get set to face their divisional rivals the Denver Broncos for the second time in 2026, the Chiefs announced a concerning update on an injury to their future Hall of Fame tight end.
Travis Kelce was listed as limited in practice Thursday with an ankle injury, ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 8 game at Denver on Sunday.
The 37-year-old tight end was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, according to the Chiefs, before the ankle limited him Thursday.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott also were limited Thursday. Cornerback Mansoor Delane, listed with a shoulder injury, did not practice.
How Travis Kelce Injured His Ankle
Kelce suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Chiefs’ 22-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 18. He caught a screen pass, gained a few yards and went down on a hip-drop-style tackle by Daiyan Henley. The Chargers linebacker’s shoulder caught Kelce’s right ankle.
Kelce limped to the sideline, where trainers examined and taped the ankle. He returned to finish the game with four catches for 53 yards.
Coach Andy Reid said Kelce “tweaked his ankle,” according to Sporting News, and expected soreness the next day. Former NFL team doctor David Chao, reviewing video of the play, diagnosed a mild high eversion sprain that can be taped for a return to action. It marked Kelce’s first appearance on the injury report this season.
Kelce played Sunday despite limited practices all week. He caught four of eight targets for 44 yards in a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
It was the second time this season he finished below 50 yards, and he tied Noah Gray for the team lead in receiving yards. He also passed Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter to move into fifth on the NFL’s career receptions list.
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | Date | Opponent | H/A | Time / Result | TV / W-L |
| 1 | Mon, Sep 14 | Denver Broncos | Home | W 31-10 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | Indianapolis Colts | Home | W 33-30 OT | 2-0 |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | @ Miami Dolphins | Away | W 24-10 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | Away | W 30-27 | 4-0 |
| WK 5 — BYE WEEK | |||||
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | Home | W 22-6 | 5-0 |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | @ Seattle Seahawks | Away | L 20-3 | 5-1 |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | @ Denver Broncos | Away | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | New York Jets | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | @ Atlanta Falcons | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | Arizona Cardinals | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 12 | Thu, Nov 26 | @ Buffalo Bills | Away | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 13 | Thu, Dec 3 | @ Los Angeles Rams | Away | 5:15 PM | Prime Video |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | @ Cincinnati Bengals | Away | 1:25 PM | FOX |
| 15 | Mon, Dec 21 | New England Patriots | Home | 5:15 PM | ESPN / ABC |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Home | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 17 | TBD — Flex Game | @ Los Angeles Chargers | Away | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | TBD — Flex Game | Las Vegas Raiders | Home | TBD | TBD |
| All times Eastern. Home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. Bye in Week 5. Weeks 17 and 18 are flex games — dates and broadcasts TBD. | |||||
Kelce’s Outlook for the Chiefs at Broncos
Kelce remains on the injury report, and his final game designation comes after Friday’s practice. He played at Seattle under similar circumstances and is expected to play again Sunday at Denver, where kickoff is 1:25 p.m. PT, 4:25 p.m. ET.
Kelce had 71 receiving yards against Denver in Week 1. Kansas City leads the AFC West at 5-1 with Denver right behind at 5-2.
Kelce has 1,104 receptions, 13,345 yards and 84 touchdowns in 198 regular-season games, plus two rushing scores. He has 24 catches for 343 yards and two touchdowns in six games this season.
A three-time Super Bowl champion, Kelce is an 11-time Pro Bowler, a four-time first-team All-Pro and a member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team. He holds the tight end records for seven 1,000-yard seasons and 1,416 receiving yards in a season, set in 2020.
Away from football, Kelce wed global pop megastar Taylor Swift at Madison Square Garden on July 3 before roughly 1,000 guests. Adam Sandler officiated, Jason Kelce served as best man and Austin Swift as man of honor. The couple had been engaged since August 2025.
Swift was in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 18, witnessing Kelce’s injury scare in person.
Swift has made no public comment on Kelce’s injury, and no reports from friends or insiders describe how she feels about Kelce playing through it or risking further injury.
Travis Kelce Injury Update Raises Concern Before Chiefs-Broncos Game