The Kansas Chiefs are traveling to Baltimore this Sunday for the much-anticipated AFC Championship game against the Ravens. The journey is almost complete as they seek another victory to clinch a return trip to the Super Bowl.
The players are excited to hit the field, but probably no one is more ready than Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He took time on Thursday to share his mindset heading into Sunday’s game, wanting to redeem himself for missing last year’s Super Bowl on the latest episode of the “Up & Adams Show” with host Kay Adams.
“It would mean everything, and you know, we can, it’s no chills down my back now because the Super Bowl that I was actually able to really be a part of, we lost,” Edwards-Helaire explained. “I got the opportunity to get activated before the game last year, and every time I even thought I was going to get the opportunity to play in, I didn’t. So I’m more than grateful that I was able to become a world champion and be a part of the team, and even that week of practice, I played receiver. I was DeVonta Smith on the scout team.”
What would playing in AND winning another Super Bowl mean to Clyde Edwards-Helaire?? 🔊
Edwards-Helaire was a healthy scratch last year when the Chiefs won SB LVII.@Clydro_22 @heykayadams | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/Mlm0AJuB6m
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) January 25, 2024
The Chiefs didn’t activate the former LSU Tigers standout, and he watched the team win Super Bowl LVII. He continued to speak passionately about being ready for the moment and being forced to handle the reality of being held out of the game.
“I was ready, too. I’m talking to Coach (Andy) Reid about just going out there. If Juju (Smith-Schuster) and Ihmir (Smith-Marsette) end up hurting his hamstring, and they activated me, I’ll learn all the receivers pass that week, and I was ready to go,” said Edwards-Helaire. “It felt weird just not being able to get my jersey, but it was a bittersweet moment being able to get that ring, knowing that I became a champion on every level in my life and football, and that’s something that you know, no one can take away from me.”
Edwards-Helaire has stepped into the third down running back spot following Jerick McKinnon’s injury. He finished the regular season with 223 yards rushing, a touchdown to go along with 17 receptions for 288 yards and a touchdown.
“This next game, it’s like a little mini-fire right now, and it’s been burning since the end of that last season just to get back to this moment just because I wanted to have a helmet on and pads on for that game,” Edwards-Helaire said. “So, no matter what, my goal is to win this AFC Championship and hopefully get in the Super Bowl.”