Reasons to be hopeful for Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s future

Speaking of Health…

Just a few months ago, Edwards-Helaire appeared on the Arrowhead Addict podcast and broke the news that last offseason was a frustrating one for him since he was not healthy. When his gall bladder stopped working after the team’s second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, Edwards-Helaire says he got as low as 160 lbs. (That’s 45 lbs. for a player who is one of the lighter guys on the roster as it is.)

That means that heading into his second season, instead of working out and improving on his game, he was simply trying to stay healthy and recover from a surgery that would eat his entire offseason. He’s never once been healthy coming into a year like this offseason, which means this is going to be the first offseason where Edwards-Helaire is coming in ready and able to build on something.

The Offense Needs Him

For all of the new faces on offense, the truth is that Edwards-Helaire might be the player best positioned to add to his load for the reasons we’ve already mentioned alongside the fact that Tyreek Hill is no longer in Kansas City. Yes, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdez-Scantling are new signees to go with rookies Skyy Moore and Justyn Ross. But all of those faces are new and will need varying degrees of time to know Reid’s offense and Mahomes’ tendencies.

Meanwhile, Edwards-Helaire enters a new year motivated as a player who already knows the offense and Mahomes well enough. Some people have praised the addition of Ronald Jones, but any expectations should be tempered by knowing the Chiefs are paying him just above the minimum for a single season—No. 52 among RB cap hits in ’22, per Spotrac.

That’s not to disparage Jones or what he can offer, but some fans are already carried away with visions of Jones taking over the position or providing the bulk of production. That’s unfounded optimism and ignores a few important elements about Edwards-Helaire as well.