Chiefs set to sign running back Elijah McGuire to practice squad with CEH out (for now)
The Chiefs are set to make a move designed to bolster their backfield depth, and it involves a familiar face.
The Chiefs are planning to sign running back Elijah McGuire to the practice pending COVID-19 protocols, sources familiar with the situation told The Star Tuesday morning. The Chiefs had McGuire in for a visit Monday.
The expected move comes in the wake of rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s hip and left leg injuries in Week 15’s 32-29 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid didn’t have an update on Edwards-Helaire’s status Monday. But the NFL Network reported Monday evening that Edwards-Helaire is expected to miss the rest of the regular season and the Chiefs are hopeful for the running back’s return in the postseason.
McGuire, 26, fills an immediate need and the Chiefs know him well.
The 5-foot-10, 214-pound McGuire spent time on the Chiefs’ practice squad in 2019 and their 2020 offseason roster before being released at the end of training camp, so he knows the offensive scheme. He spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins this season after leaving Kansas City.
McGuire originally entered the league in 2017 out of Louisiana-Lafayette as a sixth-round draft pick with the New York Jets, where he appeared in 24 games with five starts in two seasons (2017-18) and totaled 961 yards from scrimmage (591 rushing) and six touchdowns.
In college, McGuire showed his worth an all-purpose running back, producing 4,301 yards rushing and 42 touchdowns on 710 attempts (6.1 yards per carry), while adding 130 catches for 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns.
