When the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, they will be low on running backs. Only days before crossing the pond in Week 9, the Chiefs ruled out running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire due to illness.
Edwards-Helaire has played second fiddle to Isiah Pacheco this season, but he has provided Kansas City with a backup plan if their top running back goes down. In contrast, Edwards-Helaire has only averaged 3.3 yards per run attempt in 2023.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was a star for the LSU Tigers before making his NFL debut as the 32nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. His skill set, on the other hand, has struggled to go to the next level, as he has yet to reach 900 yards running in his four professional seasons.
His best season came as a rookie, when he rushed for 1,100 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. His rush attempts per game, on the other hand, have fallen with each passing season, hitting an all-time low in 2023.
Edwards-Helaire, a two-year starter for the Kansas City Chiefs, started losing touches to undrafted rookie Isiah Pacheco in 2022. Pacheco has replaced Edwards-Helaire as the starting early-down runner this season, outrunning him by almost 80 yards.
Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon should see all of the carries on Sunday. Pacheco already has the most touches in the backfield, but he’s on pace to garner more than 54% of offensive snaps, which is his current percentage entering Week 9. Meanwhile, following a shaky start to 2023.
McKinnon has a chance to break out. The 31-year-old scored 10 goals last season but has only scored twice in eight appearances this season.
