Clyde Edwards-Helaire officially designated as out vs. Bengals

The Kansas City Chiefs have officially ruled out running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire for their upcoming game on Sunday afternoon against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Chiefs are the visiting team in one of the week’s biggest showdowns on the NFL schedule knowing how much is at stake for both teams. For the Bengals, it’s a chance to clinch a rare division title after years of dwelling in the AFC North basement. For the Chiefs, it’s a chance to clinch the top seed of the entire conference and relax knowing they have a first-round bye heading into the postseason.

The Chiefs will have to finish the job against a compelling Bengals team, however, and will do so with a limited backfield given that Edwards-Helaire is unable to go due to a shoulder/collarbone injury that forced him to leave the team’s Week 16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. CEH was given an MRI on Monday to take a closer look and the results were positive in terms of a long-term prognosis. That said, he’s not quite ready to bounce back and play the very next week.

The good news is that the Chiefs have looked solid in relief of Edwards-Helaire in weeks past, going back to an MCL injury that plagued him earlier this season. Darrel Williams is a great tandem back and has shown terrific hands to the surprise of everyone in Chiefs Kingdom. The team also has an exciting rookie free agent find in Derrick Gore who has put up some big plays in limited duty when given a chance.

There’s also the return of Jerick McKinnon from injured reserve to the team’s active roster. The Chiefs just welcomed him back and it sounds as if he’s going to be ready to also help with depth and performance.

The Chiefs and Bengals kick off at 12:00 p.m. C.T.