Kansas City Chiefs have a 'tough decision' that has an obvious answer
The Kansas City Chiefs have a tough decision that has to be made. And they have less than two weeks to make their decision. Fortunately for the Chiefs, there's an obvious answer. Kansas City has until May 2 to decide whether or not to pick up running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option. Edwards-Helaire, a first-round selection […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have a tough decision that has to be made.
And they have less than two weeks to make their decision.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, there's an obvious answer.
Kansas City has until May 2 to decide whether or not to pick up running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option. Edwards-Helaire, a first-round selection (No. 32 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, had a promising rookie season with the Chiefs in 2020. The former LSU standout rushed for 803 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. He also caught 36 passes for 297 yards and a touchdown.
But over the last two seasons, Edwards-Helaire has missed 14 games which has severely limited his production. Edwards-Helaire has just 819 rushing yards over the last two years combined. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was asked this week about picking up Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option. And he was very noncommittal.
"I mean we have some time here," said Veach this week. "We'll see. I just think we'll go through the draft and handle our business and make smart decisions like we always do. I don't think we've reached a decision on anything yet, but safe to say that once we get through the draft, we'll look at our board and look at our offseason business that we have to attend to, some different players and contract stuff and we'll handle all that after the draft."
This should be an easy call for Kansas City's front office. The fifth-year option for Edwards-Helaire would be just north of $5 million (and fully guaranteed). That would put Edwards-Helaire making just a bit less than players like David Montgomery and Miles Sanders. He'd be making more than Najee Harris and Jamal Williams.
The Chiefs simply shouldn't allocate that much of their salary cap space to a running back that might miss half the season. I don't see how there's any way that Kansas City even considers picking up Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option — not when they can draft a cheaper option for the 2024 season (or sign a more durable veteran for cheaper). And based on Veach's comments, I'm betting he feels the same way. He likely just didn't want to put it out there publicly just yet.
