KC Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire misses 3rd day of practice, not ruled out vs. Bengals
Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire didn’t practice Friday, marking his third straight day of missed practice since injuring his shoulder during last weekend’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Under normal circumstances, missing a full week of practice portends a player being ruled out for his team’s next game. But Chiefs coach Andy Reid isn’t ready to do that just yet for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.
“He is making progress, but not good enough to make it today,” Reid said Friday. “Then we’ll just have to see, as far as the game. I have confidence if he can get back, he can go. I mean, he knows what we’re doing.”
Edwards-Helaire will need to show the Chiefs’ coaching and training staffs in the coming days, perhaps even all the way up to Sunday’s pre-game warmups, that he can play.
“We’ll see how he does here,” Reid said. “The best part is that he’s making progress, so you never know about those things. He’s heading in the right direction here, and that’s a plus.”
After Reid’s news conference, the Chiefs officially designated Edwards-Helaire as questionable for Sunday’s game.
If the Chiefs decide before Sunday’s kickoff to hold back their second-year leading rusher, Jerick McKinnon is a candidate to be activated from injured reserve.
McKinnon went on injured reserve on Nov. 30 with a hamstring injury. The Chiefs earlier in the week designated him to return, which opened a 21-day window in which they’ll decide whether to activate him.
He practiced all week and the Chiefs are keeping their options open in the event Edwards-Helaire needs to sit out.
“He’s been able to work in and get some work done,” Reid said of McKinnon. “If Clyde can’t be back, then he’ll jump in.”
Regardless of what happens with Edwards-Helaire, who leads the team in rushing with 517 yards, the Chiefs should be covered in the backfield. Darrel Williams was the featured back during Edwards-Helaire’s absence from Weeks 6-10, and the Chiefs have Derrick Gore as a complementary piece, too.
McKinnon would provide depth as a change-of-pace rusher if he’s activated from injured reserve.
Williams enters the weekend ranked second on the team with 453 yards, while Gore has accounted for 189 in a reserve role.
In other injury news Friday, Chiefs left guard Joe Thuney returned to practice after missing Thursday’s session.
“Everybody else (besides Edwards-Helaire) practiced and did a nice job,” Reid said.
For the Bengals, cornerback Jalen Davis (ankle) and defensive lineman Cam Sample (hamstring) are ruled out for Sunday’s game.
This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 1:59 PM.
