The last time the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Los Angeles Chargers at home, they lost one of their cornerstones, Patrick Mahomes, to an ACL tear. As he prepared to face the team again to avenge the loss and his precious time, he still felt the difference. But while the Kansas City Chiefs came out with a 22-6 win to get a league-best record, the Chargers matchup almost took away their other cornerstone.

Amid the many injuries on Sunday afternoon, the biggest one was toTravis Kelce. The legendary tight end went down too early in the game to keep the Chiefs’ hopes high. He returned and left once again within minutes. So, while the concerns remained for the No. 87, head coach Andy Reid has shared encouraging news.

“As far as the injuries go, Jaylon Moore has a concussion,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid updated in the post-game presser. “That’s the one that probably stands out the most there. (Travis) Kelce tweaked his ankle there; continued to play. He might be a little sore tomorrow, but he did a nice job tonight.

“Then the rest of that, everybody worked out. I mean, (Jalen) Royals went in to be checked for a concussion, but he was good there. And then Kingsley (Suamataia) got kicked in the calf, but he should be okay.”

Travis Kelce left the game with 12:37 on the clock in the opening quarter. He had just caught a short pass from Mahomes to move the chains five yards, but he got sandwiched between two Chargers defenders. Safety Tony Jefferson put pressure on Kelce from ahead while linebacker Daiyan Henley came from the back. Trying to save himself from a hit, the tight end slightly turned to his right, but his right ankle got awkwardly bent, and he went down. That was just the beginning…

Kelce limped across to the sidelines and got checked by the medical staff while tight end Noah Gray replaced him on the field as a reliable catcher. Soon, however, Kelce’s ankle was taped, and he was back on his feet. The Chiefs’ drive had ended by then after a 44-yard field goal. Now, here’s where the scare actually continued.

Kansas City Star reporter Sam McDowell said that Kelce was “feeling it.” And then things got worse.

The Chargers’ drive ended pretty early after they could not convert even once, and Kelce returned to the field with Mahomes and Co. Here’s how every play went after that:

• First: Kelce was present on the left side with Chargers linebacker Akheem Mesidor guarding him. With Mahomes opting to run the ball, Mesidor ran towards the center and away from Kelce. The No. 87 didn’t even pretend to make a run. He did shake his right leg to check if he could run.
• Second: With a passing play called at a 2nd-&-6, Kelce did run full speed to give Mahomes a last-second option, which he somehow always is. But with Xavier Worthy catching the ball, Kelce stopped again.
• Third: Facing a 3rd-&-2, Mahomes went for another pass to Worthy to convert. Kelce did run, but he limped by the end.
• Fourth: Kelce had already left the field.

As I said, by the end of the third play when the Chiefs were able to get a 1st-&-10 again, Kelce had limped off the field once again. He was seen lying on the stretcher on the sidelines and talking to the medical staff. Of course, there were three possibilities: The tape was too tight, and he needed it loose; he needed more support, so he wanted more tape; and the worst-case scenario, he couldn’t continue.

Fortunately for the Chiefs, he put his shoes back on, got his right ankle taped more, and was back on his feet. By the time Kenneth Walker could get the team’s first touchdown of the afternoon on the board, the tight end was up and on the sidelines with his helmet on to greet his teammates.

Now, like the last couple of outings, he didn’t have the best performance out there on Arrowhead. But it was much, much better than getting on the injury list completely.

Kelce completed the win with four catches on five targets for 53 yards and no TDs. He did have a 24-yard catch that boosted everyone’s hopes. He is not on the injury list as of now, nor has he been benched for Week 7. But former NFL team doctor David Chao did give his take on what could be going on with him.

“By video, mild right high eversion ankle sprain. Possible to tape and return,” he wrote in a tweet.

Dr. Chao wasn’t wrong. But the Chiefs’ injury scares didn’t end with Kelce.

The Chiefs’ medical staff had their hands full on Sunday

The Chiefs were already compromised at wide receiver, with Rashee Rice out due to a hamstring injury. Offensive tackle Josh Simmons has long not seen the daylight of a Chiefs game since the start of the season and continues to battle his lower back injury. And Sunday only added to that list.

Moore was in concussion protocol during the game, and an hour later, the Chiefs downgraded him to Out. Per PFF, Moore had recorded a QB hit and a pair of pressures in 31 snaps before leaving the game. Joshua Ezeudu took his place for the rest of the game.

As for Suamataia, while he was in immense pain in the second half, he returned and got the highest preliminary pass block grade on his team.

Whilst there were a few scares, overall, the Chiefs have gotten away with a win without any serious injuries, which would’ve further hindered their injury list. Amid such a situation, franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes gave a bittersweet update on his knee injury sustained last season.

Patrick Mahomes missing “burst” despite good progress

When Mahomes went down with his knee injury, the Chiefs had already understood that they wouldn’t reach the playoffs. They didn’t. With all their hopes on this season, they brought in quarterback Justin Fields but also kept hoping for their franchise QB’s return.

Patrick Mahomes was back on the field exactly nine months later. But while his recovery has been good from an ACL and LCL tear this season, he doesn’t feel at his best.

After the bye week, he “felt better physically,” but “there’s still some burst” that he’s missing, which he’ll continue to work on.

While the Chiefs tackle offensive depth issues, the three-time Super Bowl winner also credited general manager Brett Veach for making sharp moves on the offense, with injuries keeping Simmons and now Moore out.

“I think guys have done a great job all year,” Mahomes said after the game. “Just being able to be available and be ready. I thought in training camp and at the end of training camp into the regular season that Veach did a great job of bringing in a lot of competition. Guys are ready to step up when their number is called.”

The Chiefs acquired Ezeudu in a trade with the New York Giants, while also signing rookie UDFA offensive tackle Kahlil Benson after a rookie minicamp tryout. So far, the Chiefs are performing impressively despite their injury list.

Now 5-0, the Chiefs will hit the road to face the Seattle Seahawks, which are 3-3 heading into Week 7.