Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce was seen walking without a boot on Monday morning, the start of organized team activities.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had surgery earlier in the offseason on his ankle, a procedure that was simply dubbed as a cleanup by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Although the recovery process is likely going to continue, Kelce is now able to walk without a boot on his foot. Kelce took the boot off on Friday, according to Nate Taylor of the Athletic.
Travis Kelce, who had surgery this offseason, is now walking without a boot, which he took off Friday.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) April 15, 2019
Garafolo had initially reported in March that Kelce had undergone surgery on his ankle. It was considered a minor procedure and one that was not going to bar him from any activities outside spring training. While not fully recovered, Kelce appears to be making good progress. He will likely be unable to perform in some offseason training activities, which includes veteran minicamps and rookie training. However, the regular season should not be affected in any way.
Kelce could be able to participate in training camp, which starts near the end of July, but as Kelce said Monday, ”I have no idea what the time frame is. I’m just taking it week by week.”
For a veteran of Kelce’s stature, he should be just fine starting the year with less practice than others.
Without Kelce on the field for some OTA drills and the like, the Chiefs will be able to give extra-long looks to newly signed players like Blake Bell and holdover prospects like David Wells and Deon Yelder.
Kelce had the best season of his career in 2018, with 1,336 receiving yards on 103 receptions and 10 touchdowns, which led to him being selected as a starter in the Pro Bowl. He ultimately decided to sit out after the Chiefs lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.