Chiefs’ Kelce hyperextends knee and may miss opener vs. Lions

Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee during the Chiefs’ final practice before their opener against Detroit, leaving the status of the All-Pro tight end in question when Kansas City faces the Lions on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the injury occurred during their final full workout Tuesday but provided no other details. Players in the locker room said Kelce was hurt on a play in the red zone but was able to limp off the field on his own.

“We’ll just see how he does going forward,” Reid said.

The 33-year-old Kelce has not missed a game to injury since his rookie season in 2013, when a microfracture procedure to fix a cartilage problem in his knee ended it after one game. He has twice skipped meaningless games to end the regular season.

“I was in on that play (that Kelce was hurt),” Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore said Tuesday. “I was talking to somebody and he was limping, just walking off the field. It was a good sign to see him get up by himself and get off the field.”

One day earlier, Kelce proclaimed his body felt “as good as it’ll feel all year” heading into the new season.

“I’ve been very fortunate that we have the best training staff in the league, so getting in the training room, doing a lot of rehab, and just making sure the body is tuned up,” Kelce said before Monday’s practice. “There’s a lot that goes into it. You just have to be a professional, and you just have to be very fortunate.

“Actually,” he said, “there’s lot of fortune that goes into the game and staying healthy and being out there every week.”

Kelce is coming off perhaps the best season of his 10-year career, catching a career-high 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was voted a first-team All-Pro for the fourth time and chosen to the Pro Bowl for an eighth consecutive season while helping Kansas City win the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years.

“It’s tough and we love Kelce and we want him to be out there,” said Chiefs tight end Noah Gray, who would be in line to start if Kelce is unavailable.