Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco suffered a knee injury late in Kansas City’s win over the Washington Commanders in Week 8, and subsequent testing confirmed an MCL sprain, an injury that can vary in recovery time based on grade.
He then missed the following game versus the Buffalo Bills and all practices this week (listed DNP on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), even after having a full week to recover during the team’s Week 10 bye.
Now, Chiefs fans have been dealt the news they were fearing for the past several days; Kansas City’s official Week 11 injury report officially lists Pacheco as “Out” for Sunday’s divisional game against the Denver Broncos.
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The 26-year-old has been a regular component of Kansas City’s backfield this NFL season, leading the team in carries (78) and rushing yards (329), averaging 4.2 yards per carry, along with one rushing touchdown across eight appearances.
For Kansas City, Kareem Hunt — who has handled short-yardage and complementary carries this season — is the most obvious candidate to assume lead duties.
Hunt took the majority of snaps and touches when Pacheco missed time previously and should again see an uptick in workload, supported by rookie Brashard Smith and any active depth additions the team finalizes on Sunday.
That committee approach makes Kansas City’s ground game less explosive in theory, but it still gives Andy Reid a steady, experienced option in the backfield.
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Looking ahead to the game on Sunday, Denver will host the matchup with momentum (on a seven-game win streak) and a rowdy home environment.
With this being a crucial AFC West bout, sportsbooks are treating this as a near pick ’em (Chiefs are short 3.5-point favorites).
Without Pacheco, the Chiefs lose their reliable downhill runner for clock management and short-yardage gains. Still, at 5‑4 and three games back of the division-leading Broncos, their motivation to edge out a win will be sky‑high.
