It's been a good day of injury news for the Kansas City Chiefs, as the club activated wide receiver Mecole Hardman off the injured reserve list earlier on Saturday. The afternoon news didn't stop there, though, as the club is also getting another offensive contributor back in the lineup.
Per a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network , running back Isiah Pacheco has cleared concussion protocol. As a result, the second-year man is expected to play on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals in a pivotal Week 17 matchup.
#Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and is expected to play, source said. He was listed as questionable with a concussion and also a shoulder injury.
Pacheco, who leads the Chiefs with 805 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season, suffered his concussion in Week 16's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. After losing his helmet during a play in the third quarter, he got kneed in the head by center Creed Humphrey. That led to him entering evaluation for and being diagnosed with a concussion, and he even missed back-to-back practices to start the week. Despite that, Pacheco returned to work on Friday. Head coach Andy Reid reiterated that his standout running back wasn't out of the woods at the time, although he is now with a solid follow-up reaction to practice.
After playing in 12 consecutive games for the Chiefs to start the year, Pacheco missed Weeks 14 and 15 with a shoulder ailment. He had a cleanup procedure done to remove some loose bodies, ultimately returning on Monday versus the Raiders. Pacheco played 43 offensive snaps in Week 16 before exiting with his concussion. In addition to leading all Kansas City halfbacks on the ground, the former seventh-round pick currently ranks third on the team in receptions with 37.
This is a big-time boost for a Chiefs running back room that's in desperate need of a solid performance on Sunday. Pacheco's expected return serves as an insurance policy in case Clyde Edwards-Helaire (who's battling an illness) can't go or isn't ready for a full backup-level workload. Elsewhere, Kansas City can lean on La'Mical Perine and the newly promoted Keaontay Ingram in the backfield if necessary. Jerick McKinnon remains on IR with a groin injury.
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