Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has been on injured reserve since suffering a leg injury in Week 2. However, he’s eligible to return and there is finally a hint as to when the Chiefs’ RB1 may be back in the lineup.
What Is Isiah Pacheco’s Injury?
Pacheco was injured in the Chiefs’ Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. After getting his leg trapped near the end of the game, he limped off the field.
This appears to be the moment of injury for Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. Andy Reid said Pacheco is undergoing tests. The back was seen leaving Arrowhead in a walking boot and crutches. pic.twitter.com/aPZpRe629X
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) September 16, 2024
The diagnosis ended up being a fractured fibula, leading the Chiefs to place him on injured reserve ahead of Week 3.
Pacheco has remained there ever since, and we’ve gotten very little from the team in the way of updates … until just recently.
When Will Pacheco Return From Injury?
After going on IR, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Pacheco was expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Obviously, Pacheco has been eligible to return for several weeks now, but we’ve exceeded the longest end of that timeline.
However, on Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid offered an update on Pacheco’s status, describing him as “close” to returning. He even added that “we might have them out there [at practice],” referring to Pacheco, Charles Omenihu, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid Isiah Pacheco, Charles Omenihu and JuJu Smith-Schuster: "They're all close. JuJu closer than the other two. I'd tell you, we might have them out there (at practice). They're all close, all three of them."
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) November 11, 2024
This lines up with what NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport recently reported about Pacheco’s timeframe. He suggested that Pacheco and the Chiefs are eyeing “late November” as a return date.
It sounds like Pacheco may be on the verge of returning to practice, which would open up his 21-day window to return.
Typically, injured players get back on the field no sooner than the week after they are designated to return from injured reserve. Using the 2-3 week projected timeline, even if Pacheco gets back on the practice field ahead of Week 11, we shouldn’t expect him to play in a game until Week 12 or 13.
Given Kansas City’s success and a division title being all but a certainty at this point, it would not be surprising to see them be extra cautious with their RB1. With this in mind, there’s a chance Pacheco doesn’t see the field until Week 14 or 15 to give him a ramp-up before the playoffs.
How Has Pacheco’s Absence Impacted the Chiefs?
When Pacheco first went down, the Chiefs rolled with Carson Steele as their lead back and Samaje Perine in the passing-down role. That lasted all of one week before Kareem Hunt returned for a second stint and took over as the lead back.
Since making his season debut in Week 4, Hunt has averaged a league-high 22.2 carries per game. He hasn’t been particularly efficient, averaging a meager 3.7 yards per rush, but that hasn’t allowed Steele or Perine to get on the field outside of some token rest for Hunt.
Even amid all the injuries the Chiefs have dealt with, they still haven’t lost a game. This is due in large part to K.C.’s elite defense and the extremely high-end situational execution of Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs lead the NFL in success rate and third-down conversion rate, which has offset their 27th-place ranking in explosive-play rate (percentage of plays gaining 20+ yards).
It would be really unfortunate for Pacheco to miss the Chiefs’ back-to-back upcoming cupcake matchups against the Carolina Panthers (Week 12) and Las Vegas Raiders (Week 13). At the same time, Hunt’s fantasy football managers would very much like him to retain the lead-back role, at least through the end of the fantasy regular season.
If and when Pacheco does return, expect him to start in a timeshare with Hunt before moving back into his clear RB1 role. At this point in their respective careers, Pacheco is the more talented player. It wouldn’t be surprising if Hunt transitioned into the passing-back role by the end of the regular season, relegating Perine to the bench.