The Kansas City Chiefs look to gain some offensive reinforcements as running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is reportedly making progress toward a return from the non-football illness (NFI) list. Edwards-Helaire is expected to return to practice, though his exact timeline for getting back into game action remains uncertain.

Details surrounding Edwards-Helaire‘s status have caused some confusion, as the NFL wire lists him in the “RETURNED TO PRACTICE” category.

Unlike most players designated for return who receive specific annotations, Edwards-Helaire is marked as “Remains on Reserve/Non-Football Illness,” similar to Houston Texans defensive end Dylan Horton. This phrasing leaves some uncertainty about his current condition and the Chiefs‘ immediate plans for him.

Nonetheless, this move marks a step forward in Edwards-Helaire‘s journey back to the field. Under the league’s rules, this designation initiates a 21-day window, providing the running back with up to three weeks to participate in practices and regain football readiness before the Chiefs make a final decision on adding him back to the active roster.

Opened up about health challenges

Edwards-Helaire was placed on the NFI list in early September due to complications related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cyclic vomiting syndrome, health challenges he openly discussed during training camp.

“The only person who kind of put me in the right direction was [Chiefs assistant athletic trainer] Julie Frymeyer early on, to get me some of the meds at the time when I am going through an episode to get me over that hump,” Edwards-Helaire said.

“But it’s real, real bad dehydration, dropping weight real fast, but it’s really just mentally, just not being there. It’s one of those things where early on, guys who kind of pay attention – Trav [Travis Kelce], Kadarius [Toney] at times – they’ll know ahead of time, like, ‘OK, Clyde‘s not laughing, he’s not giggling, he’s not himself, we’ve just gotta make sure we’re checking in on him as the person.'”