The Kansas City Chiefs open up the 2024 NFL season against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, September 5. And outside of injured wide receiver Hollywood Brown, most members of the Chiefs active roster should be ready to go — with the only other possible exception being veteran running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The former first-round selection and 32-game starter has fallen down the depth chart in recent years, but he’s still clearly a valued contributor since he’s on the 53 once again. Having said that, there’s a real chance Edwards-Helaire is inactive Week 1 according to Arrowhead Pride beat reporter Pete Sweeney.
The ball carrier was absent from practice on Sunday, September 1 — which is acting as a game week Wednesday typically would.
For those following along during training camp and the preseason, Edwards-Helaire’s lack of availability is nothing new. The fifth-year pro has struggled with stomach illnesses that are believed to be brought on as a side effect of PTSD. He missed most of the summer due to this ongoing condition, and now it appears the Chiefs could be without him on Thursday.
Fortunately, Kansas City prepped for this possibility when they signed veteran running back Samaje Perine — who has a similar third-down skill set as Edwards-Helaire. They also have rookie RB/fullback Carson Steele on the roster to be called upon when needed.
New Chiefs RB Signing Samaje Perine Will Be ‘Available’ for Week 1 vs. Ravens
With Edwards-Helaire potentially sidelined, head coach Andy Reid confirmed Sunday that Perine will be “available” for Week 1.
The former Denver Broncos halfback hasn’t had a ton of time to learn the KC playbook, but he’s been adapting on the fly. Perine was at practice on September 1.
Fox 4 KC reporter Harold Kuntz shared video of the new ball carrier in action on X.
Over the course of his seven-year NFL career, Perine has averaged 4.0 yards per carry and 7.9 yards per reception with five different organizations. In 2023, he averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 9.1 yards per reception as an important piece of the Broncos backfield.
At What Point Does Clyde Edwards-Helaire Get Transferred to IR if Illnesses Persist?
It will be interesting to monitor Edwards-Helaire’s status throughout the early portion of the year. The running back has not played much this summer, and you have to wonder what sort of physical condition he’s in considering he’s constantly dealing with stomach illnesses.
Before the season began, KSHB 41 beat reporter Nick Jacobs predicted that the veteran would begin the 2024 campaign on the short-term injured reserve — with the option to return after the first four weeks. That hasn’t happened so far, but if these illnesses persist, could that change at a later date?
It’s certainly not something that can be ruled out at the moment.
Behind starter Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs now have Edwards-Helaire, Perine and Steele on the active roster with journeyman Keaontay Ingram and rookie UDFA Emani Bailey on the practice squad. The latter having just been re-signed on August 31.
So, while Kansas City would love to have Edwards-Helaire back sooner rather than later. Their RB depth also allows for some patience while “CEH” works through PTSD and its side effects.
For now, don’t be surprised if the recent staple of the Chiefs backfield is unavailable against the Ravens on a short week to start the season.
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