KC Chiefs are expected to place TE Blake Bell on short-term IR. But they have a Plan B

The Chiefs haven’t officially placed tight end Blake Bell on injured reserve while he recovers from recent hip surgery.

The procedural move, however, is expected before the Chiefs’ regular season opens on Sept. 11.

“We’ll work through that in the next couple of days,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Wednesday.

If the Chiefs placed Bell, who suffered a hip flexor injury against the Chicago Bears in the first preseason game, on injured reserve before establishing their initial 53-player roster, his season would’ve ended.

But by carrying Bell on their active roster at Tuesday’s league-wide deadline to get down to 53 players, the Chiefs can now move him to injured reserve. This would mean Bell spends a minimum of four weeks on the list, giving him additional time to continue recovering.

The scenario comes with a view toward Bell eventually returning to the Chiefs’ active roster, and resuming his role as Travis Kelce’s primary backup.

“We’re certainly optimistic that Blake will be back on our roster,” Veach said.

The Chiefs are currently set at tight end with Kelce, Jody Fortson and Noah Gray on the initial 53-player roster. They brought back Jordan Franks to the practice squad.

But the Chiefs are keeping their options open, including with a player they reportedly attempted to claim off waivers in the wake of Bell’s injury.

The Chiefs were scheduled to fly in former Missouri Tigers tight end Kendall Blanton for a physical Wednesday night, a source familiar with the situation told The Star. If the 6-foot-6, 262-pound Blanton passes the physical, he is expected to sign with the Chiefs’ practice squad, the source said.

Blanton, who played high school football at Blue Springs South, entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams waived him on Aug. 20.

The Chiefs were among the teams that put in a claim for Blanton, who was awarded to Washington because the Commanders had a higher waiver priority. Washington eventually waived Blanton on Tuesday, opening the door for the Chiefs.

Potentially having Blanton alongside Franks on their practice squad would provide the Chiefs some insurance while Bell recovers, especially in terms of the all-important complementary blocker role.