Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire placed on injured reserve, to miss at least four games with ankle injury

Isiah Pacheco is set to headline Kansas City's ground game

The Chiefs have been rolling, winning their fourth straight Sunday, even with former starting running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire taking a back seat on offense. Now, the third-year veteran will officially be sidelined. Three days after suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Chargers, Edwards-Helaire has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he'll miss at least four games.

The move, which coach Andy Reid announced Wednesday, clears the way for rookie seventh-rounder Isiah Pacheco to headline the ground game moving forward. Pacheco, 23, had already emerged as the lead ball-carrier in recent weeks, getting at least 15 touches in Kansas City's past two games. Now, he'll be the official RB1 with Edwards-Helaire unavailable.

Backup Jerick McKinnon, who's been utilized primarily as a pass catcher, also figures to see an uptick in action. And No. 3 back Ronald Jones, the former Buccaneers starter, could make his season debut starting with Sunday's game against the Rams. Jones has been a healthy scratch all year, but he's now a candidate to see snaps as a more traditional ball-carrier.

A first-round pick of the Chiefs in 2020, Edwards-Helaire has had a mercurial career in Kansas City. After topping 1,000 scrimmage yards as a rookie, the LSU product played just 10 games in 2021, seeing a reduced role in the passing game while battling a knee injury. This year, he's been even more limited as a runner, totaling just 293 yards on 69 carries in eight games.