Chiefs leaning on Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s leadership during OTAs

Despite a rocky end to his 2022 season, Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is entering the new season with a new attitude.

“His mindset is totally different,” first-year Chiefs running backs coach Todd Pinkston told reporters during a car wash of assistant coaches at the podium on Thursday, following an OTA practice session at the team’s practice facility. “I told him [to] press the reset button and start from scratch and we can go from there.”

After missing nine games on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Edwards-Helaire was declared inactive for Super Bowl LVII. Social media detectives delved into a potential rift between the team and the running back after he was prominently absent from the team’s championship parade.

“He’s done a great job of just really focusing on right now,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said of the fourth-year pro out of Louisiana State, “[He’s giving] everything he can in practice, in the meeting rooms and just being a leader. [He’s] able to understand his role with us.

“It’s a very important position — and his attitude has been phenomenal.”

With second-year starter Isiah Pacheco sidelined due to offseason surgeries, Edwards-Helaire has shined in first-team reps.

“I had all the running backs give me their goals going into the OTAs — and he wanted to be a lot more vocal,” Pinkston said of Edwards-Helaire. “And he’s been doing that — helping me out along the way as well as Coach Elliot.”