The Kansas City Chiefs have placed running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football injury (NFI) list. The move, reported by ESPN’s Field Yates, means the fifth-year veteran will be ineligible to play during the team’s first four regular-season games.
The Chiefs said Edwards-Helaire had missed several training camp practices due to an illness. He also has not participated in practice sessions leading up to the defending Super Bowl champions’ Week 1 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
Living With PTSD is no small feat, its hard and very overwhelming . Within the last month Ive Had many flare ups and the Amazing staff here at the #Chiefs have been helping me get through some tough times.
I’ll be back rolling next Practice! All Love , Glydro ❤️💛— GLYDE (@Clydro_22) July 29, 2024
Edwards-Helaire, 25, revealed on social media in late July that he was dealing with PTSD and explained to reporters that he’s experienced nausea and vomiting because of it, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
“I have PTSD and cyclic vomiting syndrome,” he said, crediting team athletic trainer Julie Frymyer for providing help. “So it’s something kind of neurologically that they just kind of help me with and walk through it.”
“Sometimes I’m admitted into the hospital, something like I can’t stop throwing up,” he added. “Nothing pretty much can stop it. The only person who kind of put me in the right direction was Julie Frymyer early on to give me some of meds at the time when I’m going through an episode, to get me over the hump. But it’s real, real bad dehydration, dropping weight real fast. It’s really just, mentally, not being there.”
According to Edwards-Helaire, he has been struggling with PTSD since a 2018 incident while he was in college at LSU. He was one of two players attempting to sell an electronic item and shot someone attempting to rob them, according to Baton Rouge police.
Edwards-Helaire described the incident as “a self-defense situation.” Sources confirmed to the Associated Press and WAFB-TV at the time that he was indeed one of the players involved. Charges were never filed against the players and they were released. A prosecutor eventually said the two responded with justifiable force.
The Chiefs’ 2020 first-round draft pick (No. 32 overall), Edwards-Helaire is entering his fifth season. After a promising first two seasons, he lost his starting position to then-rookie Isiah Pacheco in 2022. Last season, Edwards-Helaire rushed for 223 yards on 70 carries while appearing in 15 games.
While Edwards-Helaire is on the NFI list, Kansas City also has running backs Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele on the roster behind Pacheco. Rookie Emani Bailey was signed to the team’s practice squad.
