Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was briefly forced off with an ankle injury during Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings – before returning to the field and scoring a touchdown.
Kelce damaged his right ankle after appearing to slip in the second quarter at Minneapolis’s US Bank Stadium, an injury which forced him to head to the locker room.
The Chiefs star – whose new flame Taylor Swift failed to show up at the game despite plenty of anticipation – was later seen jogging back onto the field with strapping on his ankle.
After being listed as questionable to return, Kelce took his place back on the field during the third quarter.
Travis Kelce limped off during the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Minnesota Vikings
The Chiefs tight end’s new flame Taylor Swift chose not to attend the game in Minneapolis
Kelce injured his right ankle after appearing to slip during the second quarter of the game
He then went on to score a touchdown in the game, latching onto a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to extend the Chiefs’ lead on the night.
Kelce sparked fears after going down unchallenged in Minneapolis, with fans left concerned that the 34-year-old had sustained a long-term injury.
He caught a short pass in the right flat from Mahomes on second-and-1 when he turned up the field and lost his footing in an awkward fall for no gain. He then jogged off with a noticeable hitch and spent several minutes trying to walk back and forth on the sideline, before limping into a tunnel for further examination.
CBS reported on the game broadcast that Kelce went for X-rays on his right foot. After watching the first possession of the third quarter from the sideline, Kelce was back in on the next drive.
Despite anticipation for her potential arrival built all week, Swift did not show her face at the game being played in Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon.
It wasn’t known whether or not Swift was going to show up in Minnesota to continue her streak of attending Chiefs games to support Kelce.
Yet after she was nowhere to be seen prior to kickoff in Minneapolis, NFL Network reporter Scott Hanson confirmed during Sunday’s game that the pop sensation is not in attendance.
Thousands of fans had flocked to US Bank Stadium to soak up the Swift and Kelce frenzy which has engulfed the NFL in recent weeks.
Kelce went on to catch a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes after returning to the field
TV producers for Sunday’s game also appeared to have been preparing for her arrival at the game, with a photo from Kansas City Star photographer Nick Wagner showing stickers reading ‘Tay’ affixed above a certain seat.
The same stickers were spotted next to Swift’s seat at Arrowhead as she watched Kelce and the Chiefs defeat the Bears last month – the first appearance she made to support Kelce.
Last week, she also made the trip to MetLife Stadium to watch the Chiefs play the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football.