Eventual Return of Isiah Pacheco Poised to Give Chiefs a ‘Good Problem’ on Offense

When Isiah Pacheco joins the backfield again, the Chiefs will be excited to use him alongside Kareem Hunt down the stretch of the season.

Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) walks from the locker room to the fields prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

As the Kansas City Chiefs gear up for the final stretch of the 2024-25 campaign, they're slated to do so with some fresh legs in the backfield. Running back Isiah Pacheco is nearing a return from his fractured fibula suffered in Week 2, making it over two months since he's seen the field.

While it remains to be seen whether Pacheco will get back in the lineup for Week 12's contest against the Carolina Panthers, he's making progress either way. Kansas City has gotten by with Kareem Hunt picking up the pieces but as the 29-year-old continues to log plenty of touches, having more of a committee should be a plus.

In fact, it might give the Chiefs one of the scariest one-two punches in the sport. Speaking to the media this week, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy outlined what advantages the team will gain by eventually adding Pacheco back into the fold.

“It’s a good problem," Nagy said. "I don’t see it as a problem, I used that word, but for him to be able to get back into the mix – I always start off with, number one, who he is a football player. What he does for our offense is great stuff. I mean, he’s growing as a young kid [and] as a young football player in this offense but then you also take his personality, his demeanor, his fire, his energy [and] you throw that into the mix with Kareem and the other guys, it does nothing but help you. Whenever that is, whether it’s this week or next week, you know, he just brings positivity and I’m just happy for him to be able to get back."

Through seven games (and six starts), Hunt has brought the Chiefs a very stable floor in the ground game. Despite averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, he's helped the reigning Super Bowl champs maintain the NFL's best rushing success rate. His personal figure, 56.8%, is also a career-high mark. But at just under 22 touches per game, it's glaringly obvious that Hunt doesn't have much left in the burst category. Among players with 100-plus carries this year, he's dead last in explosive run percentage. He's also excellent at not producing negative runs, although the high floor comes with a very low ceiling.

Pacheco, on the other hand, is a different runner. Not only does Kansas City switch up its approach schematically when rolling with him, but he rewards them with more explosive rushes. Late into last season, he was right around league average in that category while being very respectable in negative run rate. His 4.6-yard career average per rush gives the Chiefs more upside. Any time the ball isn't in quarterback Patrick Mahomes's hands, getting the most out of the play is paramount.

With that in mind, finding a way to maximize Hunt and Pacheco will assist the Chiefs as the year rolls on. A more concentrated dose of Hunt will be a battering ram against defenses, and that's after Pacheco wears them down. By the time the postseason arrives, Kansas City will have fine-tuned how to use two of the more frustrating halfbacks to face. That's a tough proposition for an opponent in a cold-weather environment.

It all starts with getting Pacheco back on the field which, as Nagy said, presents a tremendous "problem" for Kansas City to solve.

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