Isiah Pacheco burst onto the scene in 2022 as a key member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive machine. A rookie seventh-round pick during their Super Bowl LVII campaign, Pacheco earned every opportunity he got to help the Chiefs over the course of the season, and is slated to be the top running back on Kansas City’s depth chart in 2023.
Offseason surgery has forced him to don a yellow non-contact jersey at Chiefs training camp to let defenders know to go easy on him during drills so he doesn’t reaggravate his injuries. Fans got one of their first glimpses of Pacheco back on the gridiron on Saturday when the team’s official Twitter account showed him catching a pass off the arm of Patrick Mahomes before he turned on the jets and cut upfield.
Running into his second szn like…@isiah_pachecoRB #ChiefsCamp pic.twitter.com/MSJXtvdk4i
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 5, 2023
Pacheco’s galloping stride is becoming the stuff of legend among Kansas City’s fans who saw his hard-running efforts bear fruit for the Chiefs in last year’s playoffs. Though he may not be back to 100 percent just yet, plays like this are a good sign that Pacheco will not only survive but thrive in 2023 as he works his way back to full health over the course of the preseason.
