Getty Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
With Isiah Pacheco cemented as the lead running back for the Kansas City Chiefs headed into the 2023 season, fourth-year back Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s trade value is only going to diminish from hereon out until he becomes a free agent in 2024. That’s why Heavy on Cowboys’ Evan Reier thinks the Chiefs could pull the trigger on a trade that sends Edwards-Helaire to the Dallas Cowboys.
What would Kansas City get in exchange for CEH? A draft pick and potentially one of two players.
“In terms of landing Edwards-Helaire, it really shouldn’t take much to convince the Chiefs. He is a backup RB that is counting as a $3.44 million cap hit in 2023 and entering the last year of his deal,” Reier wrote on April 10.
“A fourth-round or fifth-round pick could potentially be enough, but Dallas could also offer a player of their own if the Chiefs are looking for a more tangible return. A ‘project’ like cornerback Kelvin Joseph comes to mind, as both sides would be switching players with potential but are out of favor.
“Another name to consider would be defensive end Dorance Armstrong. Armstrong is coming off an impressive season, but the Cowboys are deep at defensive end with or without the NFL veteran.”
Clyde Edwards-Helaire a ‘Trade Option’ for Chiefs: Report
According to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler on March 5, trading Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a potential option for the defending Super Bowl champions, and “some” NFL teams are aware of that.
“Some teams have running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on their radar as a potential trade option, though I don’t believe Kansas City is actively shopping him,” Fowler wrote. “It could be more of a ‘we will listen’ situation.”
If the defending Super Bowl champions have a desire to trade Edwards-Helaire, then the price needs to be perfect for them to ship him away. Isiah Pacheco and La’Mical Perine are the only other backs on the roster, so the team would have to rely on adding more backs from the remaining free agent pool and/or the draft to add depth behind Pacheco if they traded CEH.
Jerick McKinnon, who had 803 total yards and 9 touchdowns during the 2022 regular season as a member of the Chiefs, is still a free agent. However, adding McKinnon would be a short-term option that would likely leave Kansas City thin at running back yet again in 2024. But even with McKinnon on the roster, the Chiefs would likely need to add at least one more running back prior to training camp.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s 2022 Campaign Stalled by Injury
Clyde Edwards-Helaire peak performance during the 2022 regular season came during the Chiefs’ Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he scored 3 total touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 rushing). Yet over the next couple of games, Edwards-Helaire’s production dipped to the point that Isiah Pacheco officially took over as Kansas City’s RB1 in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers. After moving down the depth chart, Edwards-Helaire registered 10 total touches and 28 total yards from Week 7 to Week 10, per Pro Football Reference.
Edwards-Helaire suffered a high-ankle sprain during Kansas City’s 30-27 win over the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11 and was placed on injured reserve on November 23.
The Chiefs opened CEH’s 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve on January 17, which was during the week leading up to the AFC Championship game. Yet, CEH remained sidelined for the AFC Title Game.
Kansas City activated Edwards-Helaire from injured reserve on February 6 — a day before the deadline to activate him. That put him in line to continue to practice and become a part of the Super Bowl game plan in some capacity. However, he was never activated in time for the Chiefs’ 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
Over the last two seasons, Edwards-Helaire — a first-round pick of the Chiefs in 2022 — has missed a total of 16 games (regular season and playoffs combined), which highlights durability issues for the fourth-year back.