The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to be without rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Sunday with the latest report from NFL reporter Ian Rapoport calling it an “uphill battle” if he plays at all.
Edwards-Helaire was designated as questionable before the Chiefs game in the AFC Divisional Round against the visiting Cleveland Browns. The running back was able to practice on Wednesday, which looked like a positive step given the time of rest he was able to enjoy at season’s end. However, he clearly took a turn for the worse after being held out of practice completely on Thursday and Friday.
Typically an injured player will miss a day or even two of practice in a week in which they will still play, with the Friday practice before a Sunday game as the key session for the player. Some players will be out of practice on Wednesday as they work their way up to limited reps on Thursday or Friday. For someone like Edwards-Helaire to trend backwards is a sign that injuries suffered in Week 16 to his ankle and hip aren’t ready to see the field.
It’s very possible that the trend could mean bad things for next week as well if the Chiefs are able to put away the Browns and advance to the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills. However, that’s another worry for another time. For now, Edwards-Helaire needs to rest and hope that Le’Veon Bell, Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson can provide impactful reps out of the backfield on Sunday.