A right ankle injury that forced Travis Kelce to limp off the field.
But when it all ended on Sunday, Patrick Mahomes referred to his Kansas City teammate as one of the “greatest” to play the game as the Chiefs were again winners.
“I feel like Travis has the same mindset I do,” Mahomes said. “If you give him a window to get back in the game, he’s going to be back in the game. Competitor, man. That’s why he’s one of the greatest, that he can battle through stuff like that.”
It wasn’t the easiest of Sundays for Kelce or Kansas City, who improved to an AFC-best 4-1 despite being tied with Kirk Cousins’ Minnesota Vikings at halftime.
Mahomes finished with strong numbers, completing 31-of-41 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and a 109.9 rating.
But the Chiefs only collected 67 rushing yards and weren’t their normal high-powered selves for the second consecutive game.
Kelce captured the day for Kansas City, struggling with an ankle injury but ultimately finding a way to push through the frustration and collect a win.
“There’s a lot of young guys out there, and we’re going to keep everybody moving and going in the right direction,” said Mahomes, who spread the ball around to 10 different receivers.
“I think by the end of the year we’re going to be dangerous, because you’re not going to know who’s going to get those opportunities throughout the game.”
Kelce caught a game-high 10 passes and also led all receivers with 67 yards.
The veteran tight end went down with a non-contact injury and was tended to on the sideline midway through the contest.
“I have those moments where I’m like, ‘I’m about to get crushed,’ and I look over and ‘87’ is just running free,” Mahomes said. “He’s been with me a long time. He knows how to get himself open whenever he gets an opportunity.”
Kelce went in for X-rays on his right foot, according to CBS.
But his third-quarter TD made it 27-13 Kansas City.
In a game without Swift and Kelce noticeably limping, the Chiefs turned again to their most trusted target at the perfect time.
Minnesota battled on Sunday but the Chiefs had too much firepower — and they had Kelce refusing to stay off the field.
“Pretty tough kid,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. “He loves to play.”
