Edwards-Helaire talks staying in Kansas City

By Jacob Meikel

Aside from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has only known one other place as home, and that’s Kansas City.

The former first round pick has embraced his time in the Midwest, doing all necessary growth as a young adult during his time in the region. When he spoke with the media on Monday for the first time since re-signing with the Chiefs, the Baton Rouge native mentioned how people told him the Midwest was “the best place on earth” after being drafted in 2020, and that the only thing he could do was embrace it.

“I was doing the thing I love, playing football, and grew the most in these last five years: got engaged, actually figured out what life is, buying homes, helping my mom with things, helping my parents,” Edwards-Helaire said on Monday.

It’s been an up-and-down first four years in the league for the former No. 32 overall pick in 2020. Injuries made it difficult for Edwards-Helaire to keep his role as the lead back for the team. His rookie season, he played 13 games in the regular season, with all of those as starts. His second year, the number dropped down to 10, all of which were starts as well. By year three, he was off to a hot start with six total touchdowns in the first 10 games with six starts, but would miss the rest of the regular season and postseason due to an ankle injury. In 2023, he did play the most games he had played in a regular season with 15 in route to helping the Chiefs win their second consecutive Super Bowl.

“When I did get the opportunity to play football, it showcased and it propelled us in situations that kind of got us in that right direction,” Edwards-Helaire said. “Just like the New England game, everything just kind of felt like we were in a muggy situation, but from that point, we started to excel and that’s why I’m here.”

Kansas City declined Edwards-Helaire’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract, making him a free agent this offseason. But the former LSU Tiger decided to stay in KC on a one-year deal as it embarks on a feat no team has ever accomplished in the history of the NFL.

“I really just took the time to enjoy winning the Super Bowl, and then you start getting little hits here and there from my agent, just who’s showing interest,” Edwards-Helaire said. “I felt like this was the best place to kind of continue the roll that I was going… [Kansas City] literally is home”