Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Kansas City Chiefs’ running back, has been placed on the non-football illness list and will miss the first four games of the season. This move comes after Edwards-Helaire opened up about his struggles with PTSD, which he traced back to an incident in December 2018 while he was a student at LSU. The Chiefs are preparing for their season opener against the Baltimore Ravens without him.
Edwards-Helaire revealed that his PTSD began on December 22, 2018, during what he described as a “self-defense situation.” He and a friend were involved in an incident in which an 18-year-old was fatally shot during an attempted robbery. Although the police did not name the players involved, reports identified Edwards-Helaire as one of them. This traumatic experience has had a lasting impact on his mental health.
Since being drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Edwards-Helaire was the team’s starting running back for his first two seasons. However, he lost his starting position to Isiah Pacheco in 2022 and has been serving as a reserve running back since then. Despite this, he has remained an important part of the team’s roster.
With Edwards-Helaire sidelined, the Chiefs will rely on their other running backs, including Isiah Pacheco, who is now the starter, veteran Samaje Perine, a recent addition from the Denver Broncos, and rookie Carson Steele, who impressed during training camp and preseason. These players will be crucial in maintaining the team’s depth and performance in the running back position during Edwards-Helaire’s absence.
