Isiah Pacheco

Isiah Pacheco, Charles Omenihu To Return To Chiefs Practice

November 17th, 2024 at 11:24am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 17: In keeping with earlier reports on the matter, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that Pacheco is expected to return to the lineup for the Chiefs’ Week 12 matchup with the Panthers.

NOVEMBER 12: The Chiefs continue to craft escape routes to keep their unbeaten season — and win streak dating back to last year — alive, but their point differential (plus-58, ninth in the NFL) illuminates the tightrope the two-time reigning champions are walking. As Kansas City prepares for a stretch run that features games against the other three AFC division leaders, some help is on the way.

While Rashee Rice is out for the season and Marquise Brown is not in play to return during the regular season, the other Chiefs skill-position player who suffered a major injury early this year is on the road back. Isiah Pacheco is set to practice this week, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher reports.

Down with a broken fibula that required surgery, Pacheco has been making progress to the point a late-November return is believed to be in play. That would help a Chiefs run game that has turned to retread Kareem Hunt and Broncos castoff Samaje Perine. Additionally, Teicher notes Charles Omenihu is set to join Pacheco at practice this week.

Omenihu is on Kansas City’s reserve/PUP list and would not count toward the team’s in-season activation total. Pacheco would, but the Chiefs are in good shape in terms of activations. They still have seven of their eight remaining. Both players have three weeks to be activated.

Usurping Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the Chiefs’ top running back during his 2022 rookie season, Pacheco has become a key performer during the franchise’s Super Bowl run. Pacheco has started in both the Chiefs’ previous two Super Bowls, generating strong returns on his seventh-round draft slot. Pacheco cranked out 935 rushing yards in his lone season as a full-time starter, adding 313 more in last season’s playoffs. The Chiefs have Pacheco signed on a rookie deal through the 2025 season.

Like Pacheco, Omenihu has three weeks to return to the 53-man roster. The Chiefs have given the veteran defensive end considerable time to recover from the ACL tear sustained in the 2023 AFC championship game. Signed to a three-year, $24MM deal as a free agent in 2023, Omenihu made an impact, tallying seven regular-season sacks and one more in the playoffs last year. This season has marked the second straight delayed start for Omenihu, who served a six-game suspension for a domestic violence arrest to begin his Chiefs tenure.

Kansas City made two trades to help its EDGE situation this year. Weeks after acquiring Cam Thomas from the Cardinals, the Chiefs added Josh Uche from the Patriots. The team has integrated 2023 first-round D-end Felix Anudike-Uzomah into its rotation more this season, but the Kansas City-area native is still playing just 36% of the team’s defensive snaps. Uche working his way into the mix alongside George Karlaftis and the re-signed Michael Danna will not leave as much room for the second-year player, with Omenihu’s reemergence set to factor into this mix again soon.

Chiefs’ Isiah Pacheco Targeting Return By Late November

November 4th, 2024 at 11:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Bills have found their form early and the Ravens’ dismantling of the Broncos showcases their potential at their best, the Chiefs are still unbeaten in a conference featuring no one-loss teams. The two-time reigning champions have ridden their defense this season (and in 2023, for the most part), with the Steve Spagnuolo-led group providing Kansas City’s offense a sturdy safety net.

The Chiefs have gone about strengthening a receiving corps that has been lacking since the Tyreek Hill trade, acquiring DeAndre Hopkins, and they are still believed to be looking around for more help before the deadline. Andy Reid‘s team is also expected to have its top running back ready before month’s end.

Reid has praised Isiah Pacheco‘s recovery from a broken fibula, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the Chiefs are expecting their top back to be ready to return in late November. This would actually be on the conservative end, as Pacheco’s mid-September surgery brought a six- to eight-week timetable. The Chiefs have been able to get by with Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine as their top options, but unlike Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown, Pacheco will be a piece they are expected to have back during the regular season.

A 2022 seventh-round pick, Pacheco usurped former first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire as Kansas City’s starter before his rookie season concluded, and the Rutgers alum has been the team’s starter since. He played 17 games as a rookie and 14 last season, playing in each Kansas City playoff contest during that span as well.

While the Chiefs moved on from Jerick McKinnon as their primary pass-catching back, Perine is in place thanks to an agreement shortly after his Broncos release. Hunt has also proven capable, despite not being on the level he was before his 2018 release. Hunt has surpassed 20 carries in each of the past three games, reaching 102 yards during a win against the Saints in that span. Hunt should be expected to retain a role once Pacheco is back, but the third-year player should also be penciled in as the Chiefs’ starter once he ramps back up from the injury he suffered in Week 2. Known as a hard-charging rusher — and one with rather unusual running form — Pacheco has 830- and 935-yard rushing seasons on his NFL resume. He also accumulated 313 rushing yards during the playoffs last season.

With the Chargers exiting Week 9 with three losses, the Chiefs have some breathing room in their division and within the conference. That should allow for caution with Pacheco, who is signed through the 2025 season. But Kansas City should have its preferred RB1 back in the fold as it attempts to secure home-field advantage in the AFC for the fourth time in the Patrick Mahomes era.

Chiefs Sign RB Keaontay Ingram From Practice Squad

September 18th, 2024 at 12:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kareem Hunt‘s return to Kansas City may not come with an immediate return to the team’s active roster. The Chiefs first chose to bump up one of their current practice squad running backs.

Keaontay Ingram is now on the defending champions’ 53-man roster, while Hunt is officially on their practice squad. Ingram joins Samaje Perine and rookie UDFA Carson Steele on Kansas City’s active roster.

Initially catching on with the Chiefs’ P-squad in late November of last year, Ingram was originally a Cardinals sixth-round pick in 2022. The Cards selected Ingram in Steve Keim‘s final draft as GM but waived him midway through last season, Monti Ossenfort‘s first running the front office. Ingram played in 20 games with Arizona, logging 62 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown in limited duty. Ingram has not played in a regular-season game as a Chief.

Hunt can be elevated from the practice squad up to three times, but as a vested veteran, the former rushing champion can move back and forth to the Chiefs’ P-squad and 53-man roster — should the team take this route after the elevation period ends — up until the day after the trade deadline. Players of all experience levels are subject to waivers following that point. Hunt, however, should probably be expected to move to the Chiefs’ 53-man roster and stay once his elevation period ends.

The Chiefs are in this bind because Clyde Edwards-Helaire landed on the reserve/non-football illness list before Isiah Pacheco‘s fibula fracture. Andy Reid said the team’s starter is undergoing surgery today. Pacheco is aiming to return at some point during the season’s second half. Additionally, the Chiefs signed linebacker Cole Christiansen from their practice squad and officially announced Pacheco’s IR move.

Chiefs To Place RB Isiah Pacheco On IR

September 16th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:53pm: Pacheco is set to undergo surgery this week, per Rapoport. The outcome of that procedure will determine the timeline for his recovery, which Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler adds is currently six to eight weeks. An IR stint will take place, but Pacheco should be available to return later this season.

10:56am: The Chiefs improved to 2-0 on Sunday, but their offense suffered another blow on the injury front in the process. Running back Isiah Pacheco was in a walking boot and using crutches after the contest, and he is facing a notable spell on the sidelines.

X-rays taken yesterday indicated Pacheco suffered a fractured fibula, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Further testing will take place today to determine the full extent of the injury, but in any event a multi-week absence is in store. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds Kansas City is expected to place Pacheco on injured reserve.

An IR stint would require at least a four-week stint on the shelf, but Schefter notes Pacheco could very well be out longer than that. A long-term absence would hinder Kansas City’s running game given the former seventh-rounder’s importance to the team. Pacheco emerged as the lead back during his rookie campaign, and he played a key role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run. That remained the case last year, when the 25-year-old racked up 1,179 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns during the regular season.

Expectations were high for another productive Pacheco campaign in 2024, but his injury will leave the team in need of a new backfield option. Kansas City retained former first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire during the offseason on a one-year deal. He was placed on the reserve/NFI list to begin the season, however, sidelining him until at least Week 5. The Chiefs lost veteran pass-catcher Jerick McKinnon during the spring, but the team filled that void with the addition of Samaje Perine. The latter could take on an increased workload beyond third-down duties with Pacheco no longer in the picture.

Undrafted rookie Carson Steele rounds out the Chiefs’ backfield as things stand. Steele impressed during training camp and the preseason, but he has received only nine carries through the first two weeks of the campaign. That could change during the time Pacheco misses, particularly on early downs and in the redzone. However the team’s backfield shakes out, though, Pacheco’s absence will be acutely felt.

The Chiefs have just over $6MM in cap space at the moment, less flexibility than most other teams. That could limit Kansas City’s ability to make an outside addition via the free agent market. Veteran Keaontay Ingram and undrafted rookie Emani Bailey are in place on the team’s practice squad, and at least one could be promoted in the event Pacheco were to go on IR.

NFL Injury Updates: Bell, Herbert, Armstead, Rodgers, Vea, Pacheco

September 15th, 2024 at 8:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns were able to escape Duval with their first win of the year but saw wide receiver David Bell carted off the field in the third quarter. According to Josh Alper of NBC Sports, head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media that Bell had been diagnosed with a dislocated hip.

While surely a painful situation, Bell seems to have avoided a more serious outcome. Despite leaving the field on the cart, Bell will be able to fly home with his teammates and seek treatment in Cleveland.

Here are updates on a few other injuries from around the NFL this week:

On a big day for the Chargers, there was a moment of worry when quarterback Justin Herbert got “rolled up” in the game, per Kris Rhim of ESPN. Los Angeles performed an x-ray on their starting passer, but more tests will be necessary to determine the extent of Herbert’s injury. The 26-year-old was noticably limping after the game.
While the notable injury in Miami on Thursday night was clearly that of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, left tackle Terron Armstead was also notably absent from the second half of the Dolphins‘ loss to Buffalo with a shoulder injury. In an update the next day, head coach Mike McDaniel clarified that Armstead avoided the worst-case scenario and would be returning “sooner than later,” per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. There was initially some fear that the injury could be a season-ending ailment, but it seems Armstead’s absence will only a couple weeks at most.
After sitting out the entire 2023 season due to a gambling suspension, Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers missed the team’s 2024 season opener with a hand injury. This week, we found out from Rodgers that his hand was broken on the last day of training camp when a teammate went to punch out a ball and punched his hand instead, according to Andrew DiCecco of 975TheFanatic. His hand is improving, and he has returned to practice.
Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea suffered a knee injury in today’s win over the Lions. Following the game, it was reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that Vea is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain. The veteran lineman will undergo further MRI testing tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury, but the team is optimistic.
Lastly, from the afternoon slate of games, Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco suffered an ankle injury in the team’s walk-off win over the Bengals today. Per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Pacheco is set to undergo tests and x-rays on his ankle. The team was extremely cautious with the young rusher, though, as he was seen leaving the stadium on crutches and in a walking boot.

Chiefs Activate WR Skyy Moore, Place DE Charles Omenihu On IR

February 7th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Ely Allen

As the Chiefs continue to prepare for their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance (their fourth in five years) and attempt to become the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in the ’03 and ’04 seasons, the team continues to tinker with its roster. Today’s adjustment saw Kansas City activate wide receiver Skyy Moore off of injured reserve and place defensive end Charles Omenihu on IR in his place.

After a fairly pedestrian rookie season last year, Moore was expected to take on a bigger role in his sophomore campaign. Unfortunately, Moore was only barely outpacing his rookie numbers when he suffered a knee injury in a Week 15 victory in New England that would land him on IR and force him to miss the remainder of the regular season.

After the team’s Wild Card win over the Dolphins, Kansas City opened the young wide out’s 21-day practice window, allowing him to return in time for the Super Bowl if possible. Today was the last possible day that the Chiefs were able to activate him off of IR. Moore was a full participant in practice today, so he should be able to step in as a second-string receiver should things continue to trend in the right direction.

Omenihu, third on the team in sacks this season (7.0), suffered a torn ACL in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win over the Ravens. With his season officially over, it was only a matter of time before he found himself on IR. As it turns out, Kansas City was waiting until it could add a new name to the active roster in his place. The injury means Omenihu will miss a grudge match against his former team on the biggest stage possible.

As for the rest of the Chiefs’ injury report, all but two players were full participants at today’s practice, meaning running back Isiah Pacheco and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who both were limited participants for most of the week before the AFC title game, are in better shape heading into the season finale. Today’s sole limited participant was running back Jerick McKinnon, who has served as the team’s second receiving back throughout the season.

The only non-participant at today’s practice was first-team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. Thuney missed the team’s win in Baltimore with a pectoral injury and isn’t expected to make a comeback this weekend. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters that he “would probably bet towards (Nick) Allegretti playing” in the Super Bowl, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Allegretti made his second start of the season a week and a half ago as an injury replacement for Thuney and is expected to make his third on Sunday.

NFL Injury Rumors: Holland, Dillon, Pacheco, Miller, Elam

December 15th, 2023 at 10:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Injuries aren’t anything to keep Dolphins safety Jevon Holland down for long. The third-year starter has missed three games this season (the most he’s missed in his short carer) while dealing with reported knee injuries. According to an interview Holland did with Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network, the Dolphins defender has been dealing with two MCL sprains.

A single MCL sprain is enough to force many players to sit out multiple games, as those knee ligament injuries are not meant to be dealt with lightly. Regardless, Holland wants to be through with missing time, telling Beasley that “he’s optimistic about playing this week.” With the team’s other starting safety DeShon Elliott out this week after suffering a concussion in Miami’s surprising loss to the Titans on Monday, the defense would be glad to return Holland to the field.

Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFL:

Packers running back A.J. Dillon has already been asked to step into a starting role with Aaron Jones out for the past three weeks. Green Bay may be down another rusher as Dillon reportedly suffered a broken thumb in the team’s loss to the Giants on Monday night, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Like Holland, Dillon isn’t one to miss time with an injury. The only games he’s missed in his career were due to COVID-19 during his rookie year. That being said, he’s never played with a broken thumb. He’s listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but Dillon is trying to figure out if he can play through the injury. The biggest issue comes with the fact that opposing teams will know of the injury and attempts to punch out fumbles could lead to further harm.
Isiah Pacheco has only missed one game since taking over as the Chiefs‘ starting running back in Week 2, sitting out for last week’s loss to the Bills. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, head coach Andy Reid reported that Pacheco underwent “a clean up procedure on his shoulder” that will force him to miss this weekend’s matchup with the Patriots, as well. Reid expects that Pacheco should be able to return after that.
Yet another running back, Saints rookie rusher Kendre Miller has missed the team’s past four games with an ankle injury and is scheduled to miss a fifth straight game this weekend. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill believes that we haven’t seen the last of Miller this season. While the TCU-product may not be back immediately after this week’s game, Underhill thinks a Week 17 appearance in Tampa Bay could be in the cards for the 21-year-old.
Lastly, it’s safe to say that we haven’t seen the best from Bills second-year cornerback Kaiir Elam in his sophomore season. 2023 has been an injury-riddled year for the Florida-product as he’s only made an appearance in three games this year, the most recent of which only saw him on special teams. According to Ryan O’Halloran of The Buffalo News, Elam reportedly tore an ankle ligament prior to the start of the regular season. While he did sit out the team’s first four contests, Elam’s Week 5 return apparently saw him attempting to play through the injury without it being healed due to injuries to Tre’Davious White and Christian Benford in the team’s Week 4 win over the Dolphins. The injury would eventually push him onto injured reserve at the start of November. He’s since been designated to return from IR. If he isn’t able to return by shortly after Christmas, Elam will remain on IR for the rest of the year.

Chiefs Place S Bryan Cook On IR

December 9th, 2023 at 11:42am CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs will welcome back a starting linebacker this weekend, but they’ll be down a starting safety for the foreseeable future. The team announced that they’ve placed safety Bryan Cook on injured reserve. The move makes room for linebacker Nick Bolton, who will be returning from IR.

Cook suffered an ankle injury last weekend that limited him to a season-low 22 defensive snaps. Coach Andy Reid already ruled out the defensive back for tomorrow’s game against the Bills, but Cook will now be sidelined for at least the next four games. He’ll be eligible to return for the regular season finale.

The 2022 second-round played mostly as a backup during his rookie season, starting only one of his 16 appearances while getting into about 32 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. In 2023, he’s started all 12 games for the Chiefs, collecting 42 tackles, two passes defended, and two fumble recoveries (including one for a score). Pro Football Focus currently has him ranked 40th among 83 qualifying safeties.

With Cook out of the lineup, the team will likely lean more on Mike Edwards opposite Justin Reid. Edwards has already seen a significant defensive role in 2023, and there have been some weeks where he’s out-snapped Cook.

As ESPN’s Field Yates points out, it’s notable that the Chiefs didn’t place running back Isiah Pacheco on IR. The running back is dealing with a shoulder issue that will sideline him for at least Week 14, and Reid admitted this week that he’s uncertain how much time the starter will miss.

Additionally, the Chiefs announced their two standard gameday practice squad elevations. Suiting up with the active roster against the Bills this weekend will be safety Deon Bush and running back Deneric Prince.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco Expects To Be Healthy By Week 1

July 20th, 2023 at 3:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Isiah Pacheco entered his rookie season with tempered expectations, but by the Super Bowl he was the Chiefs’ lead early-down running back. His health status has thus been one to watch over the course of the offseason.

Pacheco missed minicamp and OTAs while recovering from shoulder and hand surgeries, after being able to play through those ailments without missing any regular or postseason game action. The seventh-rounder has not yet been cleared to return to full practice, but he is optimistic he will be at 100% in time for the start of the regular season.

“I trust the staff and we were able to work out a plan,” the 24-year-old said about his current recovery situation. “I’m feeling great right now. It’s just a process and that takes time” (h/t ESPN’s Adam Teicher).

Pacheco took part in a limited capacity in a minicamp held by the Chiefs ahead of training camp, doing so while wearing a non-contact uniform. He thus has a long way to go before being cleared in full to return to the lineup, but it will be a welcomed development for Kansas City when that takes place. The Rutgers product is in line for another heavy workload in Year 2.

With former first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire missing seven games during the regular season and being made a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl, both Pacheco and pass-catching veteran Jerick McKinnon saw an uptick in usage. The latter scored 10 total touchdowns (including nine through the air), earning him a third Kansas City contract. The former ran for 830 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season, on an average 4.9 yards per carry. The latter figure rose to 5.1 during the postseason.

The Chiefs elected not to sign or draft another back this offseason, but they declined Edwards-Helaire’s fifth-year option. That will make his 2023 performance one to watch closely as he approaches free agency and the team looks to find the ideal balance of snap shares between their three contributors. Pacheco will no doubt have a signficant role come the fall, though, especially since he is likely to be healed in full by that point.