With three weeks left in the regular season, the New Orleans Saints are still making moves. On Wednesday, the team signed a local star, adding veteran running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire to the practice squad. Edwards-Helaire Was recently released by the Kansas City Chiefs, and now he’s coming home to play with the Saints.
The veteran running back, who’s in his fifth NFL season, was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He now joins several other Louisiana natives who have played for the Saints.
The Saints signed Clyde Edwards-Helaire, per source. Some help at running back
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) December 18, 2024
Saints sign Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Prior to being drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Edwards-Helaire starred at LSU. He was apart of the elite group that included Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson, leading the Tigers to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2019.
A few months after that championship, Edwards-Helaire was selected by the Chiefs with the final pick in the first round. He spent five seasons in Kansas City and won two Super Bowls. In addition to the Super Bowls, Edwards-Helaire played 48 games with the Chiefs, starting 32, and carried the ball 441 times for 1,845 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 89 passes for 765 yards and seven additional touchdowns.
The veteran running back re-signed with Kansas City in the offseason, but he didn’t play a snap for the team this season, starting the year on the Reserve/Non-football illness list. Once activated, he was later cut before appearing in a game. Now he’ll start his next chapter as a member of the Saints.
This move comes after star running back Alvin Kamara injured his groin in New Orleans’ most recent game. The team hasn’t made an announcement about Kamara’s status moving forward, but the organization clearly saw fit to add an experienced running back. With Kendre Miller now healthy in the backfield, the addition of Edwards-Helaire prepares the team if Kamara has to miss time.