Travis Kelce’s pain tolerance becomes the talking point as ex-Chiefs WR delivers a blunt assessment

Travis Kelce hurt his right ankle on Kansas City's opening drive against the Chargers and still finished the game with 53 receiving yards. The Chiefs tight end twisted the ankle on a screen pass, got it taped on the sideline, and came back. Kansas City beat winless Los Angeles, which dropped to 0-6. The Chiefs won on the ground and on defense, yet the ankle drew most of the attention. Ex-Chiefs receiver Dieter praised the effort on X, and Andy Reid backed it up after the game. Whether Kelce is healthy for Seattle is the next question.Travis Kelce's pain tolerance draws praise from an ex-Chiefs receiverThe injury came early. Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley tackled Kelce after a screen pass, and his right ankle appeared to twist as he went down. He limped to the sideline, had it checked and taped, and went back in. Dieter, a former Chiefs wide receiver, summed it up on X."Kelce is a dawg! They don't make em like him anymore. Anyone else would be milking that ankle injury."He has a point. Kelce is 37 and presumably in his final season, yet he is still producing. That is not a small thing at his age. He has already moved past Jason Witten for second place on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list for tight ends, and he caught nine passes for 101 yards against the Colts. Reid even said this offseason that he had to "yank" Kelce out of practice because he works that hard.Reid kept his own review short after the game. "Kelce tweaked his ankle there but continued to play. It might be a little sore tomorrow, but he did a nice job tonight."Kansas City's win came from the ground and the defenseKansas City could not afford to lose another pass catcher. Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton were already unavailable, which made Kelce's return more than a show of grit. After he came back, he added a 24-yard gain on a pass from Patrick Mahomes.Still, Mahomes leaned on Xavier Worthy. Worthy caught all seven targets for 73 yards, the best total among Chiefs receivers. Seven for seven is rare.The run game led the way. Kenneth Walker III carried 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns, including a 33-yard score on the second drive. It was his fourth 100-yard game in five outings since he signed with Kansas City. Mahomes finished 23 of 30 for 272 yards, so the passing game was fine too.The defense was just as steady. Kansas City sacked Justin Herbert four times, with Ashton Gillotte, George Karlaftis and Chamarri Conner among those who got to him. The Chiefs outgained the Chargers 422 yards to 259, and Los Angeles had to settle for two field goals without a touchdown.Seattle is next, and the Chiefs will face the defending Super Bowl champions there. No diagnosis or timetable for Kelce had been announced as of late Sunday. His practice reports this week should show whether he is full go.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.