The Kansas City Chiefs have officially declined to pick up RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s fifth-year option.
As a former first-round draft pick, Edwards-Helaire was one of the many NFL players eligible for an option year following the conclusion of his rookie deal. Edwards-Helaire’s fifth-year option would have cost the team around $5.5 million full-guaranteed as he failed to meet the league’s playtime criteria or accolade criteria.
The 24-year-old running back has missed a lot of games during his first three seasons due to a laundry list of injuries. As a rookie, he suffered an ankle sprain and a hip injury late in the year. In October of 2021, he suffered an MCL sprain which saw him placed on injured reserve. In Week 16, he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out until the divisional round of the playoffs. This past year, Edwards-Helaire finished the season on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Chargers in Week 11.
Despite the injuries, Edwards-Helaire has managed fair production in his first three seasons. He’s carried the ball 371 times for 1,472 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He’s also added 72 receptions for 577 yards and six receiving touchdowns, proving to be a weapon in the passing game.
Without the fifth-year option, Edwards-Helaire will become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Should Edwards-Helaire manage some sort of a bounceback year in Kansas City in 2023, they’d need to re-sign him or use the franchise tag in order to keep him on the team.
