Chiefs’ Travis Kelce out with concussion after taking a brutal hit (video)

If the Kansas City Chiefs win Saturday’s Wild Card Game, the status of tight end Travis Kelce will be a concern going forward.

The Kansas City Chiefs affirmed their status as the betting favorite by jumping out to a 14-0 lead over the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, The second score of the first quarter was a 13-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith to tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce would get a couple more catches to put his yardage total up to 54 yards for the game on three grabs. But it’s his fourth catch of the game late in the second quarter that would cause a stir, after a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit from Titans safety Jonathan Cyprien.

Kelce was clearly wobbly as he stood up, and coming out of halftime he was ruled out for the remainder of the game. He suffered a concussion earlier in the season, but he did not miss any games. The league’s in-game concussion protocol is often a joke, and open to questioning as players circumvent it or officials are somehow oblivious. But Kelce’s condition was hard to miss on Saturday, and he was easily ruled out.

If the Chiefs hang on to their current lead and win, they will travel to take on the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round. They played both teams during the regular season, beating the Patriots 42-27 in a Week 1 upset and losing to the Steelers 19-13 in Week 6. Beating either team will be dramatically tougher without Kelce next week, as it’s a clear and obvious drop-off from him to backup Demetrius Harris (18 catches for 224 yards and one touchdown during the regular season).

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Kelce has to be considered highly questionable for next weekend, assuming the Chiefs win. His progress (or lack thereof) through concussion protocol will be closely monitored and updated throughout the week.