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Back in June, we asked Kansas City Chiefs fans if they believed the team would have a 1,000-yard rusher in 2023. With over 650 votes, 70.32% of fans voted, “Yes.”
It’s a bit surprising to see that, given that the last time the Chiefs had a 1,000-yard rusher was the 2017 NFL season. Kareem Hunt led all running backs with over 1,300 rushing yards that season in an offense quarterbacked by then-starter Alex Smith.
Fans have overwhelming confidence in the backfield featuring Isiah Pacheco after his rookie campaign saw 830 rushing yards on 170 attempts. He had over 1,000 rushing yards if you add his postseason numbers, but he’s yet to record that amount in the regular season alone.
Asked about his goals from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign, Pacheco told reporters after practice on Thursday that he’s working on the little things while striving to reach that rushing mark.
“It’s the details,” Pacheco explained. “Detailing my notes more, just finding little things to get better at. You know, for me, I want to run for a thousand yards. That’s the goal, obviously, but it starts here today, practice day by day.”
This is an enormous feat for a running back that plays on a pass-heavy team. The Chiefs attempted over 200 more passing attempts than rushing attempts just a season ago. Pacheco, however, didn’t emerge as the team’s start until Week 7 and only saw double-digit carries twice in the first six weeks of the season. He had double-digit carries in seven of his 11 starts to finish the 2022 NFL season.
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