The Kansas City Chiefs are focused on a bounce-back season that will see them return to the Super Bowl for a third straight year. A vital person in this process will be running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who is the expected starter this season.
Edwards-Helaire enters his second season as the front runner to be the featured running back in the Chiefs offense. The former LSU national champion had success last year in his rookie campaign, but ended the season on a sour note, suffering an injury en route to the postseason.
He returned to action in the AFC title game and Super Bowl LV, but he wasn’t entirely healthy despite his return to play.
“I’m 100%,” Edwards-Helaire said. “In the Super Bowl, I was probably about 85% — close to 90%. But being able to rest was kind of the big thing … Before that, I had a 15-game championship season with LSU. Three days after that, I was already training and we hopped right into the season, last year. It was kind of a rolling two years for me of nothing but football. Just having the time to finally let my body recover, and then specifically my training in the offseason and rehab got me where I am right now.”
Healthy heading into training camp, Edwards-Helaire will have a chance to impress again in head coach Andy Reid’s system. The 22-year-old spoke with the media on Thursday about his growth, boasting a greater mastery of all the plays in Reid’s playbook.
”Especially having the same offense, as far as the same scheme,” said Edwards-Helaire. “I got chewed out last year for saying Coach Reid’s playbook wasn’t the hardest, but I mean, I had three different offenses in three years at LSU, and that’s just what I do. I’m a football player, and this is my job, just like it’s a doctor’s job to do their job. Everybody critiqued me for doing my job, so I’m going to come out here, learn my stuff and do what I do.”
Edwards-Helaire started all thirteen games he played last season, leading the team in rushing with 803 yards. The familiarity with Reid’s playbook has led to early success, but the young running back still can improve in the passing game. A season after catching 55 passes for over 450 yards at LSU, Edwards-Helaire caught just 36-of-54 targets for 296 yards and a score.
The Chiefs’ starting running back already spoke this offseason about the work he’s done to improve as a pass-catcher. That work continues at training camp, with Edwards-Helaire working on a staple of Andy Reid’s offense: The screen pass.
“The key to it is kind of hiding it, I would say,” said Edwards-Helaire. “Just being discreet. For me, it’s not the hardest to be discreet behind guys who are 6-5 and 6-6 so just implementing the screen game more—I know you guys saw it today, we ran a couple of screens, and they were popping. So, as far as that, it’s been going well and looking great.”
Running and catching the ball behind a new offensive line, it’s easy to get excited about what’s in store for Edwards-Helaire in his second year.
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