The future of former Chiefs first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire in Kansas City beyond next season is an uncertain one.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said on Thursday the team has yet to make a decision on whether to pick up Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year rookie option.
"I mean we have some time here," Veach said. "We'll see. I just think we'll go through the draft and handle our business and make smart decisions like we always do. I don't think we've reached a decision on anything yet, but safe to say that once we get through the draft, we'll look at our board and look at our offseason business that we have to attend to, some different players and contract stuff and we'll handle all that after the draft."
There isn't all that much time to make a decision, as May 2 stands as the deadline for clubs to exercise fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Months after hoisting the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy, the Chiefs appeared as though they were the rich getting richer back in 2020. Out of LSU, Edwards-Helaire seemed to be a perfect fit for the taking at No. 32 overall. He had a championship pedigree and a dual-threat résumé. As a rookie, CEH was excellent to the tune of 803 rushing yards, 297 yards receiving and five total touchdowns.
However, CEH's rushing yards have gone down each season and he's been hampered by injuries throughout his three-year stay in K.C., having missed multiple games each year and having played in just 10 games in each of the last two.
Complicating matters for Edwards-Helaire was the 2022 NFL Draft, as the Chiefs found a diamond in the rough of the seventh round, selecting Isiah Pacheco, who produced 830 yards rushing during Kansas City's run to its latest Super Bowl triumph. Veteran Jerick McKinnon is still a free agent and is another option for the Chiefs backfield after hauling in nine TD catches for the squad last year.
Sidelined by an ankle injury for the final seven games of the 2022 regular season, CEH is on the road back from an injury with an uncertain future ahead.
