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Less than five years ago, the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs selected running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the final pick of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. On Monday, the team waived Edwards-Helaire with three games to go in the 2024 regular season. 

Edwards-Helaire, 25, was averaging a career-low 3.2 yards-per-carry this season. In 15 games, he rushed for 223 yards and one touchdown on 70 carries. He added 188 receiving yards on 17 receptions. 

Edwards-Helaire bid adieu to Kansas City shortly after he was released via X: 

Love ya KC! A family I didn't know I needed, y'all made a Kid from Baton Rouge dreams come true! To Chiefs Kingdom, its all love and the support I had in troubling times will forever be unmatched from you guys! With love!  

Edwards-Helaire was part of LSU's undefeated, national championship-winning 2019 team. He led the nation with 16 touchdown runs that year while averaging a whopping 6.6 yards-per-carry. That success led to him being the only running back taken in the first round of the following spring's NFL Draft

As a rookie, Edwards-Helaire put up decent numbers while helping the Chiefs make a return trip to the Super Bowl. An injury hampered his production in 2021, however. In 2022, another injury and the emergence of then-rookie Isiah Pacheco led to a reduced role for Edwards-Helaire, who was inactive for Kansas City's Super Bowl win over the Eagles

Edwards-Helaire received three starts this season, including consecutive starts in Weeks 13 and 14. He amassed 169 all-purpose yards in those game that included 64 receiving yards (while catching each of his four targets) in Kansas City's Week 14 win over the Patriots

He re-signed with Kansas City this offseason after the team elected not to pick up his fifth-year option the previous offseason. Edwards-Helaire did not play at all this season prior to being released.