(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs got a massive blow ahead of the start of the season.
Superstar tight end Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee, and his status for the season opener is in serious doubt.
That’s not good news for Patrick Mahomes, whose QBR drops by 14 points when Kelce isn’t on the field, according to a graphic shared by Dov Kleiman.
With Travis Kelce in doubt to play against the #Lions, here’s a look at Patrick Mahomes’ stats with and without him via ESPN.
QBR drops by 14 points.https://t.co/0ArorkbLsO pic.twitter.com/YabnNk3ijK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 6, 2023
The Chiefs will also be without their best defensive player, as Chris Jones continues to hold out as he awaits a new contract.
That’s far from ideal, and it’ll be a bittersweet sensation on a night that was supposed to be all joy and celebration as the Chiefs will unveil their Super Bowl champions banner.
The Detroit Lions figure to be one of the most improved teams this season, and there will be plenty of motivation to prove their worth against the reigning champions, especially now that they’re severely undermanned.
Mahomes will likely have to rely upon second-year RB Isiah Pacheco early and often.
Also, the receivers corps will have to step up big time to fill in for Kelce’s absence, in case it comes down to that.
The Chiefs know they can’t afford to be without their best pass-catcher for when it matters the most, so they’re likely to be extremely cautious with Kelce’s status going forward.
The 33-year-old is on the heels of the best season of his career, and while it’s always hard to count out a team like the Chiefs, this doesn’t bode well for their first game of the season at all.
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