Isiah Pacheco has been essential to the Kansas City Chiefs‘ playoff run to the AFC Championship Game. However, doubts appeared over Pacheco’s potential availability when he was absent from practice midweek.
What is the latest on the Chiefs running back’s injury status, and will he play against the Baltimore Ravens?
Will Isiah Pacheco Play in the AFC Championship Game?
Update 01/28/2024: Isiah Pacheco is officially ACTIVE and will play against the Ravens in the Conference Round.
Pacheco is officially questionable to play in the AFC Championship Game against the Ravens, but signs are pointing toward him playing on Sunday.
Speaking on Good Morning Football, Ian Rapoport said Pacheco “[Has] got a couple of injuries.”
“Got a toe, got an ankle, DNP both days of practice,” Rapoport continued. “It’s not necessarily a bad sign. Not necessarily pessimism there. When Pacheco was talking to reporters earlier in the week, he told them that he would expect to play. That is a good sign.”
As reported, the injury isn’t expected to be serious, and it could be the case that the Chiefs are just trying to manage Pacheco. He has had a heavy workload over the first two playoff games and it is essential for the Chiefs that he is available.
The Kansas City running game runs through Pacheco and Patrick Mahomes, and his loss would hit the Chiefs hard.
Pacheco himself is expecting to play. Putting to bed any doubts, his answer in his press conference to whether he would play was, “Absolutely. Working with the training room, just doing a great job in there. Just blessed to be a part of it and continue to get better every day.”
MORE: NFL Playoff Bracket
The Chiefs RB did not participate in practice on Wednesday or Thursday, but the latest injury report shows Pacheco was limited in practice on Friday.
In 2023, Pacheco played in 14 games and had 935 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also had an additional 244 receiving yards and two receiving scores.
The sophomore RB was by far the most productive rusher on the Chiefs roster in 2023, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire being second in the season’s rushing stats with 223 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Pacheco was key to the Chiefs’ victory over the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round when he had 15 carries for 97 yards and one touchdown.
The RB had an even larger workload in the Wild Card Round against the Miami Dolphins when he had 24 carries for 89 yards and one touchdown.
If the Chiefs are to leave Baltimore victorious, win two road playoff games, and make another Super Bowl, then Pacheco being able to play is imperative.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!
