With the Kansas City Chiefs as beat up as ever in the offensive backfield, it looks as if La'Mical Perine is set to take the bulk of reps as the healthiest running back on the depth chart.
At present, the Chiefs are practicing without Jerick McKinnon, who is on the team's injured reserve list with a groin injury that will keep him out until at least the second round of the NFL postseason. The Chiefs are also sitting lead back Isiah Pacheco and former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire with a shoulder injury and an illness, respectively.
La'Mical Perine has been with the Chiefs on the team's practice squad since the beginning of 2023. Back in January, the Chiefs signed him as a late-season free agent and then moved him onto the roster with a futures contract for the full offseason. Perine flashed in preseason games along with Deneric Prince, but neither have proven ready for more.
Perine, a product of the University of Florida, originally entered the NFL with the New York Jets as the team's fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He's also spent time with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles since arriving in the NFL.
The hope for the Chiefs this week will be that Edwards-Helaire's illness will be over by the time the Chiefs are set to host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead for their Week 17 competition. If so, then they at least have a tandem in Edwards-Helaire and Perine to take the field together.
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