According to reports, the Kansas City Chiefs will likely be without running back Isiah Pacheco for “real time” after he suffered a fractured fibula. Head coach Andy Reid discussed his knowledge of Pacheco’s timeline for his return and the situation in the Chiefs’ running back room during Pacheco’s absence.
“For Pacheco, I don’t have a timetable,” Reid said. “I know it’s not going to be this week, and it’s probably going to be longer. It’s going to take a little bit of time there.”
As the Chiefs plan for the coming weeks, General Manager Brett Veach is considering options outside the organization, according to Reid, but the team will start with internal options first.
“As far as Pacheco goes, we’re going to go with the guys we have here now,” Reid said. “Veach is going through his list and looking at guys and we’ll see where that goes. But we’re blessed to have some good guys here.”
Later in his media appearance on Monday, Reid was asked about Pacheco’s mindset and attitude as he looks ahead to what could be a long road back to the field.
“He was at the doctor’s, so I didn’t see him today,” Reid said. “But I talked to him twice last night. I think he’s getting better. It’s tough. I talked to a couple of kids that came to our house after the game, and I said, ‘You know how emotional you get sometimes when you lose a game? You never want to lose that again.’ Here’s a guy who loves the game, so he had tears in his eyes. He was emotional. But you never want to lose it again. It’s an emotional sport. This kid, nobody likes playing more than he does. You’ll see that, and that’s the great thing about this sport.”
#bosses According to sources, initial examinations indicate that star RB Isiah Pacheco, who left the stadium wearing walking shoes and crutches, suffered a broken fibula.
More information to determine severity and associated damage will follow, but Pacheco is expected to be missing in real time. pic.twitter.com/9xA4hOsMyE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) 16 September 2024
Aside from Pacheco, the Chiefs’ only two other running backs on the 53-man roster are veteran Samaje Perine and undrafted rookie Carson Steele. The team also has two running backs on the practice squad: undrafted rookie Emani Bailey and 24-year-old Keaontay Ingram. Former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on the NFI list for at least the first four weeks of the season.
With Pacheco likely out for the next few weeks, Reid was asked if he thought one of KC’s other running backs could take on No. 10’s workload.
“Well, I haven’t had the opportunity to give one of the backs that much yet,” Reid began. “Or a couple of them. So, actually all three of them, if you look at it, I’d say I have confidence in them, I just haven’t experienced it with them yet.”
During a strong preseason, Steele climbed the rankings and earned a spot on the active roster. Despite a fumble on Sunday, could he still be in the running to take on a significantly larger workload while Pacheco is out?
“Yeah, he’s got to go the extra mile in that role,” Reid said. “But I think he likes a challenge and I think this will be a good challenge for him. He’s got to keep the ball high and tight, obviously, he had the fumble yesterday, that’s never happened to him before, so he’s got to make sure he learns from it.”
When asked about Edwards-Helaire’s status and his suitability as a running back, Reid said that Edwards-Helaire could be in the game but would not be able to return for at least another two weeks.
“Yeah, that’s part of the equation,” Reid said. “So we’ll have to figure all that out and see how it all fits together. We know he’s there, we’re just not going to have him here for a couple of weeks.”
