The Washington Commanders are desperately short of decent offensive weapons after some bad luck in recent weeks. Injuries have struck every skill position at the worst possible time. Others have to step up, or general manager Adam Peters will look elsewhere for the correct reinforcements.
This bears more significance in the running back room. Austin Ekeler is on injured reserve after a serious concussion sustained against the Dallas Cowboys. It's unlikely he'll play again this season, which evaporated any legitimate pass-catching threat out of the backfield for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to depend upon.
Peters will be aggressive if he feels like more is needed. It might be worth checking in on a former first-round pick who was recently deemed surplus to requirements.
The Kansas City Chiefs waived Clyde Edwards-Helaire this week. It was a dramatic fall from grace for the player, who endured significant hardship on the health front after flashing enormous promise throughout his rookie campaign.
Commanders should check in on Clyde Edwards-Helaire after recent release
Edwards-Helaire was a highly-coveted prospect after contributing to LSU's historic college football national championship triumph in 2019. It looked like superstardom was beckoning in the pros, but injuries and other ailments saw him descend into an afterthought under Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid.
There is another red flag that warrants investigation if the Commanders opt to examine the potential addition in greater detail. Edwards-Helaire hasn't played much this season after revealing he was suffering from PTSD and cyclic vomiting syndrome. This was serious enough to get hospital attention.
Edwards-Helaire seems to be over the worst of it, gaining 346 all-purpose yards and one touchdown from five games this season — four of which he's started. However, those in power within the Chiefs decided to go in a different direction.
His experience around a winning culture could be a decent short-term option for the Commanders until Ekeler returns. That would be a little harsh on Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr., but Peters has no room for sentiment with the postseason in sight.
With 89 receptions in four seasons, putting in a call if Edwards-Helaire clears waivers wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. Washington's running backs coach Anthony Lynn also knows the player from his time in the AFC West as Los Angeles Chargers head coach to further raise intrigue.
The Commanders don't have a better pass-catching back on their roster until Ekeler returns. That's the reality. Checking in to see where Edwards-Helaire is mentally and identifying whether or not he can contribute comes with obvious benefits attached.
This is a decent insurance policy for Ekeler if nothing else. Edwards-Helaire should be highly motivated to silence his doubters and help on another team. Something that could help galvanize his once-promising career along the way.
Catching passes from Daniels is a tempting proposition for anyone — least of all a player down on his luck right now. Whether this scenario becomes reality or not remains to be seen.