Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a productive rookie season, recording 1,100 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns in 13 games.
He rushed for 830 yards and caught 36 passes for 297 yards. But given the explosive nature of Kansas City’s offense, Edwards-Helaire wants to be a better receiver in 2021.
“[I’ve been] working on my hands and catching,” Edwards-Helaire said this week, via Matt McMullen of the Chiefs’ website. “I wouldn’t say it was a problem last year, but just understanding our offense - we move the ball around and we spread the field – so why not work on something that I feel like I can improve on? That was one of my steps as far as improvement goes.”
Edwards-Helaire added that in talking to head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, it was clear that the Chiefs could get the ball spread out more with the running back.
“That was one of the [reasons] why I chose to work on my hands and to just be more of a threat,” Edwards-Helaire said. “It was seen that I can run the ball between the tackles and outside [last season]. So, just being able to also get out — and not just routes out of the backfield, but also spread out in the slot and as an outside wideout — [is a goal of mine].”
As long as the Chiefs have Mahomes, they’re going to be one of the league’s most explosive teams. But if Edwards-Helaire can add more of a receiving element to his game, that will only make the offense more dangerous.