3 Kansas City Chiefs still showing warning signs despite 6-1 start

Kansas City Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire needs to play up to his potential

It's wild to think that in 2020, Clyde Edwards-Helaire accounted for 1,100 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, which obviously made him one of the most promising young running backs in the NFL.

It's also wild to think that just three years later, he's now technically the third-string running back behind Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon, although McKinnon is used far more in the passing game than as a rusher.

Now, you may be wondering why a third-stringer is any cause of concern for the Kansas City Chiefs. And maybe he's not.

But despite his reduced role, the LSU alum still gets several touches per game. The problem is that those touches rarely amount to anything. In fact, through the first six weeks of the season, 67% of his 36 touches (30 rushes, six receptions) resulted in negative yardage. Perhaps that's why he only touched the ball twice against the Chargers in Week 7.

So why does this matter?

Well, it matters because if Pacheco, who plays a highly physical brand of football, rolls an ankle or takes one hard hit, Edwards-Helaire will have to step up.

And given what we've seen from this year, that could be a real problem for the Kansas City offense. Opposing defenses aren't scared of him in the slightest anymore, nor should they be. There's essentially no need to pay much attention to him when he's on the field, which allows defenses to double up elsewhere.

If and when the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent is forced to again take on a bigger role, he'll need to prove he can be even half the player he was three years ago.