Will KC Chiefs wait until after week off to activate Edwards-Helaire? What Reid said
Chiefs coach Andy Reid started off the week saying there’s a “pretty good chance” running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire could return from injured reserve in time for Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Two days later, the Chiefs seemed to be pumping the brakes.
The Chiefs have an open date in Week 12 of this season’s schedule — the weekend after the Cowboys game — and might consider giving Edwards-Helaire an extra week to recover from the MCL sprain he suffered in Week 5.
“There’s a chance we go that direction,” Reid said Wednesday. “We’re just looking to see how he does this week, and then we’ll go from there.”
The Chiefs will practice through Friday. The three days of on-field work provides Edwards-Helaire an opportunity to prove he is 100% ready, especially in terms of his conditioning.
“If we feel like he’s not ready, then we won’t put him in there,” Reid said.
The Chiefs officially designated Edwards-Helaire as returning from injured reserve last week. The move officially opened a 21-day window for the Chiefs to decide whether to activate him or leave him on injured reserve.
Darrel Williams has filled in capably for Edwards-Helaire over the past five games and is coming off a 144-yard performance against the Raiders that included 101 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Edwards-Helaire was on the practice field Wednesday, but the Chiefs were still missing one of their right tackles. Reid said rookie Lucas Niang, who suffered an injury to his ribs in Week 9, would not practice. Niang missed all three days of practice last week and was inactive for the Chiefs’ Week 10 game at Las Vegas.
The Chiefs later in the afternoon listed cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (knee) as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. Sneed was also listed on last week’s injury report with wrist and ankle injuries, but the ailments didn’t stop him from recording a team-high six tackles and a quarterback hit as the Chiefs beat the Raiders 41-14.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill (groin), tight end Travis Kelce (neck), left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (toe), left guard Joe Thuney (hand), right guard Trey Smith (ankle), fullback Michael Burton (pectoral), cornerback Mike Hughes (elbow) and linebacker Dorian O’Daniel (shoulder) practiced fully.
For the Cowboys, running back Ezekiel Elliott (knee), wide receiver Amari Cooper (hamstring), quarterback Will Grier (knee), wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (triceps), cornerback Nahshon Wright (hamstring) and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson (shoulder) practiced fully Wednesday. Tackle Tyron Smith (ankle) was limited.
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Will KC Chiefs wait until after week off to activate Edwards-Helaire? What Reid said."
