Terrible News Strikes Raiders' AFC West Foes

The Las Vegas Raiders bitter rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, have had a turbulent offseason. They have been struck with more bad news, losing a key part of their offense...

Texas Tech alum and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attends a press conference at Jones AT&T Stadium, Friday, August 23, 2024. / Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Las Vegas Raiders will kick off the 2024 NFL season against the Los Angeles Chargers, one of their AFC West rivals. The Chargers look to be competitive this season under head coach Jim Harbaugh, who has made his long-awaited return to the NFL from Michigan.

The Raiders' bitter rival, reigning two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City, begins the season with a tough matchup against an AFC heavyweight in the Baltimore Ravens.

Led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have talent and depth all over the field and boast one of the best rosters in the league as well as one of the best coaching staffs, led by John Harbaugh.

The Chiefs handled business against the Ravens in last season's AFC Championship game. The tables good be turned in Week 1 of 2024, however. Kansas City will be without running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Thursday, a big blow to their offense.

Per Sports Illustrated's Ravens and Chiefs pages, Edwards-Helaire is listed with an illness on the team's unofficial injury report. The situation reportedly involves Edwards-Helaire's struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The only person who kind of put me in the right direction was Julie Frymeyer [Chiefs assistant athletic trainer/physical therapist] 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.'"

Head coach Andy Reid said the Chiefs are "playing it by ear."

The running back and former first-round selection is an integral part of the Chiefs' offense and it could be costly for Kansas City. It is important for Edwards-Helaire, whose heroic act of shielding a teenager during the Super Bowl parade shooting this year earned him a Heroism award, to stay well.

It is bigger than football.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.