The Kansas City Chiefs added RB Le’Veon Bell to the mix last week. Many questioned the decision given the presence of rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. For Chiefs HC Andy Reid, the bottom line was that this was a move that made his football team better.
“Listen, we don’t turn away good players, and he’s a good one,” Reid told reporters following the game. “So, it’s exciting to have him around, and we’ll see how he does. He’s got to get in and get in the playbook and learn everything, but he’s a pretty smart kid and been doing it a long time. So, I don’t think he’ll have a problem with that. I think if you talk to Clyde, Clyde will sleep well tonight, as I think the other backs will. To add one more guy, I don’t think any of them will complain there.”
Bell was unable to participate in the Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills due to COVID-19 screening. Now with Week 6 in the rearview, on the eve of Bell’s debut in Kansas City, many are wondering what the dynamic will be in the Chiefs’ backfield. Reid is confident that Bell will fit in just fine. He’s also happy with the way Edwards-Helaire handled himself in light of the news.
“I thought he did a nice job, a real nice job, and I thought he handled the news well,” Reid said. “I think they actually talked before anything actually happened, so there was a little communication that I think took place, so I think that’s healthy. But anyways, he took it fine. I mean, obviously, he came out and played pretty good, so that was a good thing.”
As for the rookie running back, he is excited about the opportunity to learn from a veteran who has been playing at a high level in the NFL for a long time. Remember the original plan was for Edwards-Helaire to work alongside Damien Williams this season. Since Williams made the decision to opt-out, Edwards-Helaire has been learning from mostly unproven depth players.
The addition of Bell creates a chance for him to learn from and work alongside someone who has been a true bell-cow running back in the NFL. It’s an opportunity to borrow some elements from Bell’s game and add them to his own repertoire.
“Talking to Le’Veon (Bell), another guy coming in, another piece to the puzzle,” Edwards-Helaire said. “From here I just feel like we can only go up. Le’Veon’s a guy that is older than me, I’m still in my rookie year. So anything I can do to pick his brain and gain any knowledge from him, I’m there for it. It was a quick conversation, but he’ll be in the building next week so I’ll be able to talk to him more in person.”
Bell, without having met Edwards-Helaire face-to-face, already appears to be one of his biggest fans. Bell spent Monday night cheering for the team on social media and even tweeted out in support of his new running mate, Edwards-Helaire during a near-fumble.
he down af
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) October 19, 2020
At face value, this appears to be the beginning of a beautiful collaboration in the Kansas City backfield.
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