Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire can reignite his NFL career in Week 14
Update: Chiefs HC Andy Reid has officially named Edwards-Helaire the starter for Week 14. A former first-round draft pick for the Kansas City Chiefs could presented with an opportunity to reignite his NFL career in Week 14 against the Buffalo Bills. Chiefs starting RB Isiah Pacheco missed his second consecutive practice with a shoulder contusion on […]
Update: Chiefs HC Andy Reid has officially named Edwards-Helaire the starter for Week 14.
A former first-round draft pick for the Kansas City Chiefs could presented with an opportunity to reignite his NFL career in Week 14 against the Buffalo Bills.
Chiefs starting RB Isiah Pacheco missed his second consecutive practice with a shoulder contusion on Thursday. While the team isn't closing the door on Pacheco practicing on Friday and playing in Week 14, it's currently trending toward RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire drawing the start against the Bills.
Edwards-Helaire hasn't exactly lived up to expectations since entering the league as a first-round draft pick out of LSU in 2020. He was replaced as the starting running back in Kansas City in Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season, with Isiah Pacheco taking over as the full-time starter.
Edwards-Helaire has only produced a single game with 30 or more total yards since Pacheco took over as the lead back. That came in Week 5 of this season when Edwards-Helaire had 15 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown.
The Chiefs, of course, declined Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option during the offseason. He'll officially become a free agent in mid-March.
Now, this might seem like I'm trying to make an argument against the team starting Edwards-Helaire in Week 14 against the Bills. Much to the contrary, this is something that could pay off in the long term for both the Chiefs and Edwards-Helaire.
This could be one of Edwards-Helaire's only remaining opportunities to showcase that he can be a starting running back — or even a good depth piece in the NFL. If he has a big performance during Sunday's game, it could flip the narrative surrounding his recent play and lack of production. Whether his future is in Kansas City or he simply does enough to earn a job elsewhere, there's potential for a good performance to help the Chiefs in the interim and down the line as well.
It's not like this is a terrible matchup for Edwards-Helaire either. As a rookie, Edwards-Helaire had 26 carries for 161 yards against the Bills in a mid-October game in Buffalo. This offensive line is arguably better than the one he had back then, and at the very least the interior of the offensive line is better.
The Bills don't exactly have a great rushing defense. They are allowing 4.7 yards per carry to opposing rushers, and have allowed eight rushing touchdowns on the season.
The opportunity could be there for Edwards-Helaire, but will he be able to seize the moment?
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