The Kansas City Chiefs have officially designated TE Blake Bell to return from injured reserve per the NFL’s daily personnel notice.
Bell was spotted back at practice on Tuesday, signifying the team had officially opened his practice window. The veteran tight end was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 1 after he suffered a hip flexor injury during the preseason tilt with the Chicago Bears.
The team maintained that Bell had a chance to return from the injury at some point this season. He missed the first 15 weeks of the season recovering from the hip injury, but he returns at the perfect time with TE Jody Fortson suffering an elbow subluxation. Now, Bell will have a chance to come back and contribute for the stretch run.
Bell appeared in all 16 regular season games with the Chiefs last season, catching nine passes for 87 yards. He also had four carries for 10 yards and four first downs on the season. That’s a part of his presence that the team has sorely missed, as they’re one of the worst in the league this season at converting on third-and-short.
Remember, being designated to return doesn’t mean that Bell is returning to the 53-man roster for the upcoming Week 16 game against the Seattle Seahawks. When a team designates a player to return from injured reserve it opens a 21-day practice window where they can begin practicing with the team. Bell still needs to be activated to the team’s 53-man roster. If he isn’t activated by the end of that 21-day window he’ll remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
