Chiefs Rumors: Clyde Edwards-Helaire Targeted for Trade; Mecole Hardman Exit Expected

The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly "bracing" for the possibility of losing wide receiver Mecole Hardman this offseason in free agency, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, while running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has some interest around the league.

Per that report, "Some teams have [Edwards-Helaire] on their radar as a potential trade option, though I don't believe Kansas City is actively shopping him."

Few people around the NFL would bat an eye if the Chiefs decided to move on from Edwards-Helaire.

While a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 11 kept the 23-year-old out of action from the latter stages of the regular season until the Super Bowl, Isiah Pacheco was seizing the starting running back gig, rushing for 830 yards and five touchdowns.

Edwards-Helaire, meanwhile, rushed for just 302 yards in 10 games, though he did add six total touchdowns.

The former 2020 first-round pick has never quite lived up to that billing, accumulating a career high 1,100 yards as a rookie. In 2021 that number dropped to 646 yards from scrimmage, while this season he only managed 453 total yards.

Injuries haven't helped. He's now missed 14 regular-season games in the past two years. But while he's been sidelined, Pacheco—a 2022 seventh-round pick—emerged as the team's top option going forward at the position.

Hardman, 24, would be a bigger loss. While he's never translated his flashy athleticism into consistent production, he was having a solid 2022, catching 25 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns in eight games while adding four rushes for 31 yards and two additional scores. His six touchdowns tied a career-high, albeit in half a season as a pelvis injury limited him.

The speedy wideout has never emerged as Tyreek Hill 2.0 for the Chiefs, but he's still a dangerous playmaker and a good fit for Andy Reid's offense. Losing him would hurt even if he's never emerged as a top option in the passing game.