Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) is inactive for today’s game vs. the 49ers. He was off the final injury report, so Kansas City is just opting to roll with RBs Kareem Hunt, Carson Steele, and Samaje Perine.
Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) is listed as doubtful for Monday night's game vs. the Saints. He returned to three limited practices this week but isn't yet ready to make his 2024 debut. That'll again leave Kansas City's backfield to Kareem Hunt, Samaje Perine, and Carson Steele. Hunt wound up leading the way last week and is the best Week 5 fantasy bet.
Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been designated to return from the non-football illness list. He missed the first four games of the season dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder related to gun violence in his youth. Fully healthy from a physical standpoint, he's capable of making an immediate contribution to this undermanned Chiefs backfield. We'll see if Edwards-Helaire ends up active for Monday night's game vs. the Saints. He's not a Week 5 fantasy option but is worth a wait-and-see stash in deeper leagues.
The Chiefs elevated RB Kareem Hunt from the practice squad to the active roster. RB Keaontay Ingram was released in a corresponding move
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Chiefs are signing RB Kareem Hunt. He'll join the practice squad initially, but Pelissero adds that Hunt "should have a chance to play soon."
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with his fractured fibula, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The Chiefs have a Week 6 bye, which will save Pacheco a game. But this timeline means he'll be out at least through Week 8 and potentially through Week 10.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco fractured his right fibula in Sunday's win over the Bengals, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports. It's not yet clear how long Pacheco is expected to miss. He's reportedly headed for further testing on Monday to determine whether there's any surrounding damage and his return timeline.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is scheduled for testing on an ankle injury suffered in Sunday's win over the Bengals, HC Andy Reid said afterward. ESPN's Jeff Darlington interviewed Pacheco after the game and "got zero sense he’s dealing with anything serious." We should get an update on Pacheco tomorrow. His absence would leave Kansas City's backfield to Carson Steele and Samaje Perine. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire is out at least another two games.
Update: Pacheco left the stadium in a walking boot and on crutches, according to Darlington.
The Chiefs have placed RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football illness list. That means he'll miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season. CEH has said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder related to gun violence in his youth and a particular "self-defense situation" in 2018. That makes this an evolving situation, with no certainty he'll be ready to return after Week 4.
The Chiefs are signing RB Samaje Perine to their active roster, NFL Network reports. That adds Perine to a backfield that had sported Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Carson Steele as backups to Isiah Pacheco. Ian Rapoport reports that K.C. had talked with Denver about a potential trade for Perine before Denver released him Tuesday.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Broncos are expected to move on from RB Samaje Perine. The team is reportedly trying to trade the veteran before Tuesday's deadline to cut rosters down. But Perine looks like a release candidate if a deal doesn't happen.
RB Javonte Williams took the first rep in every drill at the Broncos' first day of training camp, per Benjamin Allbright.
Troy Renck of The Denver Post says he believes RBs Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine are competing for a roster spot this summer.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams was one of the least efficient runners in the league last year. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and ranked 42nd among 49 qualifiers in NFL Next Gen Stats’ Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. It's certainly worth noting that Williams was returning from an October 2022 multi-ligament knee injury. He was cleared for the start of training camp last summer, but it’s fair to wonder if the knee was still a factor throughout the season.
After a promising rookie year, Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin continued to develop this offseason. Per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, “McLaughlin’s offseason program turned heads among coaches, teammates, and onlookers at practice. It would not be a stretch to say he was the Broncos’ most dynamic offensive player during OTAs and minicamp.”
Broncos HC Sean Payton said recently that his backfield is an open competition heading into the season. "All these guys, they're all competing for different roles, spots," Payton said. "We never put a cap on what they're competing for. I wanna see it. And then we'll go by what we see."
The Broncos selected Notre Dame RB Audric Estime in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A four-star prospect, Estime chose Notre Dame over others like Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia, and Nebraska. After a quiet freshman season behind Kyren Williams, the New York native split carries in 2022. The result? Team-highs in yards (920), yards per carry (5.9), and TDs (11). His production then rose across the board last fall. He flashed top-notch power with 4.27 yards after contact per attempt and tallied a strong Elusive Rating from PFF (126.5). The raw numbers turned up several career highs (209 carries, 1,341 yards, 18 TDs). While Estime caught all 26 of his college targets, we don’t forecast much of a receiving ceiling in the NFL. He also lacks the top-end speed to rip off explosives at the next level. Estime’s 4.71 forty-time at the NFL Combine was disappointing, but his Relative Athletic Score of 6.58 shows the strength of his complete profile. At 221 pounds, he tallied an 86th-percentile vertical and an 87th-percentile broad jump. Also note: Estime’s ten-yard split placed him in the 53rd percentile. The rookie joins a crowded backfield in Denver alongside Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine – although Williams and Perine are both scheduled to be free agents next offseason.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams didn't just let you down with his production in Saturday night's loss to the Lions. He saw his playing time and route participation tumble. It started with Denver putting Jaleel McLaughlin on the field to open the game. Williams took over for the second possession and still led the backfield in playing time and touches. But his 48% playing time for the game marked his lowest since a Week 6 return from a quad injury. That followed three straight games of 60%+. His biggest dip came in the passing game. Williams ran a route on just 25.7% of QB Russell Wilson's dropbacks. That marked a significant fall vs. three straight outings of 40.5% or more. Williams ran just nine routes vs. eight for Samaje Perine and five for Jaleel McLaughlin. Combine that with now seven straight games of averaging less than 3.9 yards per carry, and it's tough to see Williams as more than an "if you need him" starter for a Week 16 matchup with the Patriots. We'll see about his role and performance in that game before declaring his usability for a better matchup with the Chargers in Week 17. Perine drew just 1 target for the game but caught it for 11 yards and averaged 6.2 yards across his 6 carries. That followed a 5-catch Week 14 and couldn't have hurt his chances at getting playing time the rest of the way. McLaughlin garnered just 4 touches for the game. He has topped 6 touches just once in his past eight games.
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