Bottom Line

Edwards-Helaire is coming off a disastrous 2022. He had fallen behind both Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon even before suffering a season-ending high-ankle sprain in November.

The only good news for Edwards-Helaire is that the Chiefs didn’t make any notable additions to the backfield this offseason. That at least gives him a shot to reclaim a significant role.

But Edwards-Helaire will need to show us something before we can consider him anything more than an end-of-draft flier.

What We Learned Last Year

• Edwards-Helaire finished with career lows last season in carries (71), rushing yards (302), rushing TDs (3), and receptions (17).
• He opened the season as the leader of a three-man committee, ahead of Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon. Edwards-Helaire’s averages over the first six games:
  • 9.8 carries
  • 42.7 rushing yards
  • 0.3 rushing TDs
  • 3.0 targets
  • 2.7 catches
  • 22.8 receiving yards
  • 0.5 receiving TDs
• His playing time started to sink in Week 7, when he registered a 27% snap rate. He played 17% and 6% of the offensive snaps in the Chiefs’ next two games.
• Edwards-Helaire went down with a high-ankle sprain in Week 11, was placed on injured reserve, and missed the rest of the regular season.
• He was finally activated from IR the week before the Super Bowl but was made a healthy scratch for that game.
• Edwards-Helaire ranked 25th among RBs in PPR points per game as a rookie in 2020 and then 29th in 2021.
• He missed 10 games across those two seasons with ankle, hip, knee, and shoulder injuries.
• Edwards-Helaire’s Pro Football Focus rushing grade has declined in each of the past two seasons. He ranked 58th among 67 qualifying RBs last year.
• Edwards-Helaire was better in the passing game last year, finishing 11th among 60
  qualifying RBs. But McKinnon ranked eighth.

What to Expect in 2023

• The Chiefs return the same backfield this season, with Pacheco entering Year 2 and McKinnon back on a 1-year deal.
• That means there’s opportunity for Edwards-Helaire to reclaim a role, although he’ll head to training camp third in the pecking order.
• He drew some buzz in OTAs, with HC Andy Reid noting that Edwards-Helaire looked “quick and strong.”
• The Chiefs have ranked top-15 in total RB PPR points in four of QB Patrick Mahomes’ five seasons, including a fifth-place finish last year. So there’s plenty of fantasy production to be had here.