As the NFL preseason inches towards a close, the Kansas City Chiefs roster bubble has become slightly more defined in recent weeks. Furthermore, the roster bubble discussion is even starting to feature some names that many may not have thought of as cut candidates at the start of training camp.
One player who appears to be a lot closer to the bubble since being re-signed is running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The running back position group is one that the Chiefs didn't invest in this offseason which made Edwards-Helaire's return to the team a non-surprise and led many of us to believe he'd yet again be a key part of the running back rotation.
We know that the Chiefs have had a certain loyalty towards a handful of veterans who have been a part of this five-year run with CEH being one. His roster spot has been nearly guaranteed every year despite not living up to his draft status. However, that tide may be turning as off-the-field circumstances and the emergence of UDFA running back Carson Steele may force Kansas City to end the Clyde Edwards-Helaire experiment.
One player that appears to be a lot closer to the bubble than some expect is running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Edwards-Helaire recently opened up about suffering from PTSD and mental health and he has hardly practiced throughout training camp because of it. While Edwards-Helaire's situation should be approached with sensitivity, when talking about the Chiefs roster, it's worth noting that availability has been a massive issue regarding Edwards-Helaire since the start of his tenure in Kansas City.
The Chiefs running back room looks to be relatively thin this year barring any late additions. Isiah Pacheco is the only proven commodity on the roster for 2024 and Edwards-Helaire despite being a veteran, is coming off yet another disappointing campaign in 2023 where he only averaged 3.2 yards per carry even in a more limited role. That means there needs to be dependability in the running back room, and the Chiefs unfortunately cannot depend on Edwards-Helaire given his injury history.
Then, there's the performance part of the equation. It's understandable that the Chiefs value Edwards-Helaire's locker room presence, but at some point that rationale becomes exhausting especially when other players appear to be outperforming CEH consistently. We briefly mentioned the emergence of UDFA Carson Steele who looks to be securing a spot on this roster with his rock-solid play in preseason, but then there's also Deneric Prince who spent all last year on the practice squad. Even Prince has flashed a few times this preseason.
Edwards-Helaire, on the other hand? He hasn't done anything, and with all due respect to the fifth-year back for being open about his struggles, but he's not good enough to take almost the entire preseason and training camp off and still expect to be on this team. There's too much talent behind him making a serious push.
Let's be honest, Edwards-Helaire has never really stood out from the rest of the running back room the last few preseasons, but he kept making his way onto the team somehow. This year, if CEH makes the team over Prince or Steele, a lot of us will be asking "Why?" as to how Edwards-Helaire still has that kind of roster pull.
The best-case scenario for everyone involved that doesn't include cutting Edwards-Helaire is keeping four running backs but making CEH inactive or placing him on a reserve list as he deals with his off-field issues. Either way, it may be time for the Chiefs to finally put an end to the Clyde Edwards-Helaire experiment.