The Kansas City Chiefs are officially in the postseason after clinching their spot with the Week 13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The game featured the return of several players, including running back Isiah Pacheco.
The former seventh-round draft pick returned to the lineup on Friday after being injured since Week 2. He spoke about his long rehab process with reporters after the game in preparation for the highly anticipated return at Arrowhead Stadium.
“It was challenging. You’ve got days you come in and don’t want to work. You could go as hard as you can and get distractions.” said Pacheco. “You’ve got guys that are healthy running in and out of the facility, but you, as a player, you’ve got to focus on what you’ve got to come in there and do. For me, that was to get better day in and day out and eliminate distractions. I wanted to go out to the hot tub and the cold tub and do those extra things, but during the moment, I had to focus on what I had planned and then, on my own time, do the extra stuff.”
Pacheco finished his first game back on the field with seven carries for 44 yards, including a 34-yard run. The Chiefs limited Pacheco’s workload as he gets his timing back and is still tinkering with his usage alongside Kareem Hunt.