Chiefs Elevate TE Matt Bushman Ahead of Game vs. Lions

Kansas City brings up its 27-year-old tight end as a potential insurance policy for Travis Kelce.

The Kansas City Chiefs are just hours away from kicking off their 2023 season against the Detroit Lions, and they might be getting some extra help depending on how things shake out prior to the game.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Kansas City is elevating tight end Matt Bushman from the practice squad.

The #Chiefs are elevating TE Matt Bushman from the practice squad for tonight's game against the #Lions, source said. Insurance in case Travis Kelce can’t go.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2023

Bushman's elevation is at least somewhat related to the injury of star tight end Travis Kelce, who hyperextended his knee during practice on Tuesday and has been far from a shoo-in to be active on Thursday night. Thursday morning and afternoon provided some more optimistic viewpoints regarding Kelce's injury, although ultimately it appears that head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder will still have the final call as to whether the team's second-best player will go against Detroit.

A 27-year-old tight end out of BYU, Bushman originally signed with the Chiefs back in early 2022. The former Cougars standout spent his initial Kansas City campaign on the practice squad, then a Jody Fortson injury during this year's training camp led many to ponder whether Bushman had a chance to make the 53-man roster to start the year. That didn't end up being the case despite Bushman's four receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown during the preseason, but he signed back to the practice squad and is once again in the Chiefs' tight end room.

In terms of regular-season experience, Bushman has played in just two NFL games during his career and both of them were with the Las Vegas Raiders. It's not a certainty that he'll be a part of the team's game plan on Thursday, especially given that Kelce is seemingly a better shot to play than many originally thought. With the flexibility to promote Bushman as an elevated player from the practice squad, though, Kansas City is adding a bit of an insurance policy just in case things go south by game time.

UPDATE: Per an announcement from the Chiefs' official account on X (formerly Twitter), defensive tackle Matt Dickerson is also being activated from the practice squad via standard elevation. 

Read More: Three Important Questions for the Chiefs Entering 2023 Season