The injury to Isiah Pacheco last Sunday was a significant blow to the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense. In response, the franchise welcomed back running back Kareem Hunt as they await 6-8 weeks without the third-year starter.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes discussed his starting running back’s injury.
“He (Isiah Pacheco) loves the game, so he wants to be out there and puts so much work into it. I think at first, you obviously are upset that you have the injury, but if I know anything, I know that man is going to be getting after it,” said Mahomes. “It’s going to be more about the trainers having to hold him back than him not getting in and getting the work because he loves it so much, man. He’s in the building; he’s working. I’m excited for the comeback, man, because he’s going to come back ready to go whenever he gets back.”
Pacheco was having a productive game before going down with the injury in the fourth quarter. He finished with 91 yards of rushing and hauling in five catches for 21 yards. Mahomes mentioned not initially seeing the injury happening live but applauded the running back’s resilient attitude.
“I didn’t see the tackle because of the angle that I was at. I’ve seen it, obviously, now,” said Mahomes. “The fact that he (Isiah Pacheco) popped up and he was like running off the field – I think he was trying to get back on the field, and that just speaks to the kind of competitor that he is. I didn’t realize it was as serious of an injury until after the game (because) of the moment that we were in. Like I said, he’s going to attack it, man. He’ll be back sooner rather than later.”
Pacheco is known for his fiery attitude and willingness to play hurt, so Kansas City will miss his consistent intensity in the backfield.