KC Chiefs Injuries: Isiah Pacheco Suffers Concussion in Loss to Raiders

Kansas City's starting running back got banged up in the team's Christmas Day loss to Las Vegas.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in their Week 16 outing, sending the home crowd away with less to cheer about on Christmas. To add insult to injury — or injury to insult, rather — Andy Reid's team couldn't get out of the game without a few players going down. 

Speaking to the media following the conclusion of the game Monday afternoon, Reid confirmed what was feared regarding running back Isiah Pacheco. The second-year man has a concussion that forced him out of action. Elsewhere, right guard Trey Smith has a calf ailment that required some attention and a brief exit from the game. 

"As far as the injuries go, Pacheco has a concussion and then Trey Smith, his left calf was hurt," Reid said. "So we'll just see how that goes." 

Late in the third quarter, Pacheco hauled in a short pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes on a second-and-14 play. After turning upfield, Pacheco's helmet came off and he was hit in the head by the right knee of center Creed Humphrey. An exit to the sideline eventually turned into a locker room visit, seeing the 24-year-old subsequently get downgraded from questionable to out later in the contest.

Monday marked Pacheco's first game since Week 13, as the former seventh-round pick missed two consecutive games with a shoulder issue. He had a cleanup procedure done prior to Week 15 and was allegedly cleared (per Reid) to return for a matchup versus the New England Patriots, but the team exercised some caution and held him out for one more week anyway. In his return to the lineup, Pacheco carried the ball 11 times for just 26 yards and had four receptions for no yards. He did manage to score a second-quarter touchdown on a direct snap run.

Reid didn't elaborate on a recovery timeline for Pacheco or Smith. The former will now be tasked with clearing the NFL's multi-step concussion protocol, with no two situations truly being the exact same. It's impossible to predict how Pacheco will respond to evaluations over the next handful of days. More clarity on Smith's injury could be coming early in the week; Reid will speak multiple times before the Chiefs' Week 17 outing on New Year's Eve against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 20-14 Loss to the Raiders