Chiefs face another challenge as RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire placed on NFI list

Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire will not be available to play for at least the first four games of the 2024 NFL season.

According to ESPN's Field Yates, Edwards-Helaire has been placed on the team's reserve/non-football illness list.

Edwards-Helaire had missed the Chiefs' practice on Sunday, and at this time the cause of this transaction has yet to be revealed.

A former first-round pick out of LSU, Edwards-Helaire has not lived up to the hype. Through four seasons, he's tallied 1,845 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, adding 89 catches for 765 yards and seven touchdowns.

Kansas City has since found its true No. 1 running back in Isaiah Pacheco, who has become the go-to guy on the ground.

Additionally, the Chiefs have discovered a hidden gem in Carson Steele, and veteran free-agent signee Samaje Perine will become integral to the offense in short order as a third-down back.

Still, given how often NFL running backs get banged up, the loss of Edwards-Helaire isn't one to take lightly. The Chiefs are already without another top playmaker to open the campaign. And every body counts.