Isiah Pacheco Reflects on His Injury Last Season

The Kansas City Chiefs have gotten a lot out of Isiah Pacheco during his time with the franchise. Pacheco was a seventh-round draft pick in 2022 and was never expected to be as big a part of the Chiefs' offense as he has turned out to be.

While he's never eclipsed 1,000 yards in his short career, his physicality and angry running style have created many memorable moments for Chiefs Kingdom. He's been a spark plug for their offense whenever they need crucial yards and has come up clutch in many moments.

Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to remain healthy since his rookie year, when he played all 17 games for them. In 2023, he only played 14 games, and last year, he suffered an injury that made him available for only seven games.

In 2024, he carried the ball 83 times for 310 yards and only one touchdown, his longest run going for 34 yards. He's entering a contract year with the Chiefs, and his health will be very important in deciding whether or not he stays with the Chiefs next season.

After all, they drafted Brashard Smith in the 2025 draft, and he could carve out a prominent role for himself in their offense. They also signed Elijah Mitchell in free agency and brought back Kareem Hunt this offseason, which means the Chiefs are placing an emphasis on the ground game next season.

The Chiefs don't want to repeat last year, and a big part of that is their health. Their receiving trio could barely see the field all at once, and Pacheco's injury impacted how they navigated their offense. Pacheco went on an interview where he discussed how his mental health was affected by his injury.

"Definitely just always fighting to get back and working so hard. It starts with the weight. It always started with the weight. But coming off injuries, the season is as long as it gets. So you're fighting for positions.

You're out there working your tail off, and just sweating every day, and not eating enough to get the weight back is not going to be as much time to gain weight during the season rather than the off-season, and the whole program that they have here for us".

The Chiefs will have to hope that Pacheco remains healthy, as he's a big part of why the Chiefs' offense is so successful. He looks healthier, and hopefully, he can continue to stay that way throughout the season.

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