Clyde Edwards-Helaire is grateful to call Kansas City home for another year

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is back with the Kansas City Chiefs, and from the sound of things, he was never really all that excited to call any place else home.

Edwards-Helaire is now headed into his fifth NFL season, all with the Chiefs, and he met with reporters on Monday after officially signing his first-ever contract in free agency. Edwards-Helaire became free to sign with any team after completing his rookie deal following another Super Bowl victory in February.

From the outset, Edwards-Helaire described the process of being officially untethered as a "different" one. He also realized it was going to take longer than maybe what some players might think given how frenzied the news and rumors seem to fly every offseason.

The Chiefs running back met with reporters on Monday to answer questions about his first venture into free agency.

"The free agent process, initially I wouldn’t say it’s slow but it’s different. I mean, it’s something I’ve never experienced. It’s not like high school recruitment. It’s not like college. It’s a completely different outtake on things. You’re able to reach out if you want to. They’re able to reach out.

"I took time to enjoy winning the Super Bowl and then you start getting little hits here and there from my agent," he continued, "just who is showing interest and the amount of teams. You start getting details on things that could have possibly happened during the season or who is looking at you."

Edwards-Helaire stated that a return to Kansas City felt like the right move for a number of reasons. He cited his friendships with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce by name and also mentioned being so familiar with an offense after four full seasons. More than anything, however, Edwards-Helaire stated he was anxious to finally start building on the momentum of last season.

"I felt like this was the best place to continue the role that I was going, like I said. At this point last year, I was trending in an upward direction, showing the things that I needed to showcase in order to be the player that I felt that I was when I got drafted. It’s just one of those growing pains in the league. I’m going on year five and still 24 years old."

Edwards-Helaire did seem just as concerned with how his life lined up off the field as well as on it, however. Instead of having to ingratiate himself with a new home base, the move to re-sign allowed him to lean into K.C. community for at least one more year.

"K.C. literally is home. I left Baton Rouge, Louisiana where I was born and raised and drafted to the middle of the country. Everybody was telling me it was the best place on earth, and the only thing I could do was embrace it. I was doing the thing I love—playing football—and grew the most in these last five years. I got engaged, actually figure out what life is, buying homes, helping my mom with things, helping my parents. It’s just somewhere that I felt like I became a man."

Edwards-Helaire was the Chiefs' first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He had 70 rushes for 223 yards and 1 touchdown last season.