Report: Chiefs Place Clyde Edwards-Helaire on NFI List, RB to Miss Start of Season

The Chiefs will be without Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the beginning of the 2024 season, as the club reportedly placed him on the NFI list on Monday.

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (25) warms up against the Chicago Bears prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

As the Kansas City Chiefs take the field on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens, one of their more seasoned veterans on the offensive side of the ball won't be active.

According to a Monday morning report from Field Yates of ESPN on X, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is being placed on the non-football illness list. As a result, the fifth-year halfback will miss at least the first four games of the 2024-25 campaign.

"The Chiefs have placed RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the reserve/non-football illness list," the tweet began. "As a result, CEH is now out for at least four games. Makes the addition of Samaje Perine that much more important for the champs."

The Chiefs have placed RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the reserve/non-football illness list.

As a result, CEH is now out for at least four games. Makes the addition of Samaje Perine that much more important for the champs.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 2, 2024

It's been a bumpy last few months for Edwards-Helaire. The former first-round pick missed considerable time during training camp, later sitting out of two preseason games and seeing very limited action in the one contest he did play in.

Despite head coach Andy Reid originally saying he expected everyone but Marquise "Hollywood" Brown to participate in Sunday's practice, Edwards-Helaire wasn't spotted by local media during the open viewing portion of work.

Edwards-Helaire's absences have stemmed from his ongoing battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Last month, Joshua Brisco of Kansas City Chiefs On SI documented Edwards-Helaire's thoughts on the situation and how the Chiefs have worked to help him manage it.

"The only person who kind of put me in the right direction was Julie Frymeyer early on, to get me some of the meds at the time when I am going through an episode to get me over that hump," Edwards-Helaire said. "But it's real, real bad dehydration, dropping weight real fast, but it's really just mentally, just not being there. It's one of those things where early on, guys who kind of pay attention — Trav [Travis Kelce], Kadarius [Toney] at times — they'll know ahead of time, like, 'Okay, Clyde's not laughing, he's not giggling, he's not himself, we've just gotta make sure we're checking in on him as the person.'"

Once the aforementioned four-game span is over, Edwards-Helaire will have a practice window open and Kansas City can evaluate where he's at before potentially activating him to return. In the meantime, third-year back Isiah Pacheco will continue serving as the club's go-to option in the running game while recent acquisition Samaje Perine suddenly becomes a more critical piece. It also might raise the chances of undrafted free agent Carson Steele potentially seeing in-game action as a rookie.

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