Travis Kelce Injury Update: Jay Glazer Has Good News for Chiefs Fans

While it was largely swept away under the tide of Sunday's action, Travis Kelce played a major role in shaping Week 1 of the NFL season. The tight end, who suffered a knee injury days before the Kansas City Chiefs opened their season on Thursday night, sat out against the Detroit Lions, and, without him, the defending Super Bowl champions struggled.

One game (probably) won't make or break a season, but the offense's issues have nerves frayed a bit. Just how bad is Kelce's injury? And when can No. 87 get back on the field?

Jay Glazer somewhat answered that question when he shared an encouraging update during Fox's Week 1 coverage. And while it largely was buried among the NFL action, Chiefs fans will be glad to hear it.

Kelce is trending in the right direction for Week 2

In the world of sports, injuries can be something of a black box. As much as we may try to plug into the news cycle, it's tough to know exactly what the future holds. A player can return earlier than expected or suffer a setback, spending longer on the sidelines. Nothing is certain until you see the athlete in question taking the field.

Kelce, however, seems to be moving in the right direction.

During Fox's coverage on Sunday, Glazer shared the latest news about the all-world tight end.

"People actually don't know how big of a bullet they missed on Travis Kelce," the NFL insider explained. "When it first happened, they actually thought there was a tibial plateau fracture, which is a fracture in the leg. Would have put him out for the year. Instead, he just had a really deep bone bruise. They had to pull out 45 cc's of blood."

That doesn't sound good, and the graphic details garnered most of the attention. Glazer, however, had more to share.

"Yesterday [Saturday], they actually put him in his stance and wanted to see if it swelled after. They were good," he said. "Today [Sunday] as we speak, he's at the facility working on the muscles around it. That test is passing as well. Tomorrow [Monday], they're gonna try and run him. As long as it doesn't swell, he'll play next week."

While that's a big if, it will certainly be something that Chiefs fans can cling to.

Kelce can't come back soon enough for K.C.

Although there are 53 players on an NFL roster, a single absence can sometimes make all the difference. That's what happened when Kelce missed the Chiefs' season opener.

Kelce is more than a pass-catcher. He's a uniquely talented player who has the license to read a defense and exploit a soft spot in the coverage. He also possesses a big frame and soft hands, making him the perfect target for clutch situations.

Without him, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid had to spread Kelce's touches throughout the offense. That didn't exactly work out, as the receiving corps collectively struggled to hold onto the ball. There were also a few choices—think gimmick plays in short-yardage situations—that were probably the product of lacking a reliable target.

This Sunday's opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m. in Florida), are an AFC foe, meaning that postseason seeding could be at stake. Remember, we're not talking about a bubble team; the Chiefs are expected to make serious noise in the postseason, and each loss will make things that much tougher.

In that context, Kelce's return from injury can't come soon enough for the champs.