The Kansas City Chiefs will be shorthanded in the running back room when they face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. With a sickness, the Chiefs ruled out running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire only days before crossing the pond in Week 9.
This season, Edwards-Helaire has been second fiddle to Isiah Pacheco, but he has given Kansas City with a backup plan if their primary running back goes down. Edwards-Helaire, on the other hand, has only averaged 3.3 yards per run attempt in 2023.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the 32nd selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, was a standout for the LSU Tigers before making his NFL debut. His skill set, however, has struggled to transition to the next level, as he has yet to surpass 900 running yards in his four professional seasons.
His greatest season came as a rookie, when he had 1,100 yards rushing and five touchdowns in 13 games. However, his rush attempts per game have decreased with each passing season, reaching an all-time low in 2023.
In 2022, Edwards-Helaire, a two-year starter for the Kansas City Chiefs, began to lose touches to undrafted rookie Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco has taken over as the starting early-down rushing back this season, outrunning Edwards-Helaire by roughly 80 yards.
On Sunday, Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon should see all of the carries. Pacheco already leads the backfield in touches, but he’s on track to receive more than 54% of offensive snaps, which is his current proportion entering Week 9. Meanwhile, after a poor start to 2023,
McKinnon has a chance to break out. The 31-year-old scored 10 goals last season but has only scored twice in eight appearances this season.
