The Kansas City Chiefs have missed the presence of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire for weeks. Will they finally have him back vs. the Raiders?
After weeks out with an MCL sprain, Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on the mend.
The former first-rounder made it back onto the practice field this week and should be available for Kansas City soon.
The definition of “soon” is the mystery that could have a major impact on the next few weeks for the Chiefs.
Chiefs injury report: When will Clyde Edwards Helaire be back?
On Friday, head coach Andy Reid gave some indication of the timeline for Edwards-Helaire’s return to full action. Could it be in time for Sunday’s critical AFC West game against the Raiders?
“We’ll see. He worked all week. It’s probably a stretch,” Reid said per Nate Taylor of The Athletic.
Edwards-Helaire has been able to practice, but there’s a difference between practicing and suiting up for a game, especially for a running back who has missed the better part of a month.
Since it’ll probably take more than a handful of practices to get him read, it seems the likely outcome is for Edwards-Helaire to miss the Raiders game with an eye on returning for Week 11 against the Cowboys.
The team won’t want to risk rushing him back, but they do need him to get back to full speed quickly.
Whether or not it’s linked to Edwards-Helaire’s absence, the Chiefs offense has looked a shell of its former self in recent weeks.
The performance of quarterback Patrick Mahomes is at the center of that. Still, quarterback play is often influenced by the effectiveness of the ground game. Being able to keep defenses honest with the rushing attack could take some of the pressure off of the former MVP.