Kansas City Chiefs running back Damien Williams told the team he was opting out of the 2020 NFL season on Wednesday, giving rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire the chance to be the featured back.
Edwards-Helaire was already regarded as an ideal match for Kansas City's offense given his ability to be a dynamic receiver out of the backfield. With Williams sitting out, the rookie's stock appears to have skyrocketed.
The former LSU star had been a 250-1 favorite to win NFL MVP, but those odds have since jumped to 75-1, per ESPN's Adam Teicher.
Caesars shifted its odds for Edwards-Helaire in light of Damien Williams' decision to opt out. Edwards-Helaire has gone from 250-1 to 75-1 to win NFL MVP, 75-1 to 20-1 to win rushing title, 11-2 to 4-1 to win offensive rookie of year.
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) July 29, 2020
The Chiefs made Edwards-Helaire the final pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he will now have the opportunity to bust out from Week 1.
Most of the focus in Baton Rouge revolved around quarterback and future No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow. But Edward-Helaire was one of the most indispensable of the Tigers' offense.
The 21-year-old rushed for over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns on a whopping 6.6 yards per carry. He also caught 55 passes for 453 yards and another score. Needless to say, that kind of production will only make the Chiefs more dangerous, should Edwards-Helaire prove capable of carrying it over.
As for winning MVP, Edwards-Helaire figures to have competition from his quarterback. Patrick Mahomes should be regarded as a perennial contender given what he has accomplished in the past two years and already has one MVP under his belt.
Not to mention, the odds are still skewed heavily against Edwards-Helaire as a running back. The last rusher to win MVP was Adrian Peterson back in 2012.
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