As Uncertainty Grows Around Travis Kelce, Chiefs Face Chargers for 128th Time Sans Patrick Mahomes

Andy Reid is not going to take any chances! Especially not with his star quarterback. This news will come as a shocker to Mahomes-fans. But it doesn’t end there. Swifties might also be disappointed on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs‘ TE Travis Kelce will also most probably be absent from the game as well.

So, why is the 2x Super Bowl MVP missing this game? And who will be filling in for him? The Chiefs will head toward their final matchup of the season on January 7. Can they win big against the Los Angeles Chargers and end the season with a bang? This will also determine how they will walk into the post-season games.

Chiefs without their chief Patrick Mahomes

The live press conference on January 4 had bad news in store. Head Coach Andy Reid revealed that Mahomes will not be playing on Sunday. The reason? The Chiefs have already clinched a #3 AFC seed and will be heading to the playoffs. The squad does not want to risk injuring their MVP. Besides, he is already fighting a toe injury. So Chiefs’ fans wouldn’t want it to get worse.

Unfortunately, the clouds of doubt hover over Kelce as well. Travis Kelce featured on the injury report with a neck injury. He saw limited practice session participation, but his playing status is unclear. And if Kelce is not going to play, it’s highly likely that Taylor Swift won’t come to watch. But it gets worse. Kelce is just 16 yards away from an NFL record as well.

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He was on track to register his 8th straight 1,000-yard-plus season. Currently, he is tied for the record of TEs with the most number of consecutive 1,000-yard-plus seasons with 7 seasons. Without two of their best players on the gridiron, are the Chiefs in for trouble?

Will the Chiefs face defeat on Sunday?

The two teams have faced each other a total of 128 times. And the winner is not very clear. The Chiefs have just won 10 more games. But if we factor in Mahomes, the story changes completely. Since 2018, they have faced off 11 times. And the Chargers have just won thrice. They are also on a 4-game losing streak against KC.

Blaine Gabbert would be filling in Mahomes’ giant shoes on Sunday. He’s not a nobody, but he’s no Mahomes. In the preseason, he successfully completed 62% of his passes for 348  yards and scored five times. If Kelce is also a no-show and Kadarius Toney also fails to turn up, there might be more pressure on the Chiefs.

Over at the City of the Angels, they might want to attack the Chiefs’ defense game. RB Austin Ekeler has emerged as a double-threat, but he is very prone to injury and has missed a lot of games. QB Easton Stick will have WR Keenan Allen by his side. But it seems Josh Palmer might miss this game since he’s nursing a concussion injury. If the Chiefs’ #9-ranked offense disappoints once again, they might walk into the postseason with a fresh defeat.

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