The Kansas City Chiefs opened training camp this week with great news on running back Isiah Pacheco.
The Kansas City Chiefs are headline-makers on the highest order, but few players made more improbable waves around the NFL last season than seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco. The Rutgers product swiftly worked his way up Andy Reid's depth chart, taking over as the lead back by midseason.
Pacheco ended his first NFL season with 830 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and invigorating an offense otherwise known for its passing game. Pacheco wasn't simply productive; he was positively joyful to watch.
The diminutive downhill dynamo took pride in his ability to power through tackles and evade defenders in the open field. Every running back runs, but few sprint into the trenches with the same exuberant fervor as Pacheco.
The 24-year-old underwent multiple surgeries over the summer to repair a torn labrum and a broken left hand. There were doubts about his availability for training camp, but Pacheco is more than available — he's going above and beyond to get back into shape and relocate his rhythm.
Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes get positive injury news about RB Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco has been an active participant in the first week of Chiefs training camp, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic. He's putting in work in truncated practices typically reserved for rookies and quarterbacks, to the surprise of his coaching staff. As Taylor notes, few players love practice more than Pacheco. He's firing on all cylinders, ready to get his much-anticipated second season underway.
The running back has no lingering pain in his hand. He took the first handoff of camp from Patrick Mahomes and soon thereafter shook hands with GM Brett Veach. "I'm feeling great right now," he told reporters on Thursday. "I trust the [athletic training] staff, and we're able to work out a plan. I'm getting back into shape, and we're working."
Pacheco's magical rookie season began with a strong training camp last year. He's still out to prove his mettle as the Chiefs' workhorse back. While Kansas City's offense is known for the big-play ability of Patrick Mahomes and pass-catchers like Travis Kelce, there is extreme value in a ferocious runner of Pacheco's ilk. His ability to dominate short-yardage possessions collapses the defense and sets the table for Mahomes to unleash his cannon on ill-prepared defensive backs.
The Chiefs will enter the season with the expectation of not only competing, but winning the Super Bowl. Kansas City is the best team in the NFL on paper, complete with 2022's top-scoring offense and a sturdy defense helmed by Defensive Player of the Year finalist Chris Jones.
While Pacheco is only a piece of the puzzle, he's more important than your typical undersized seventh-round pick. He's an explosive playmaker who provides necessary balance alongside Kansas City's explosive passing game. His early and active presence at camp is a good sign of things to come.