Chiefs Make Final Decision on RB Isiah Pacheco’s Week 12 Status

After being limited in practice this week, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (IR) and defensive end Charles Omenihu (IR) won’t play in KC’s Week 12 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, according to head coach Andy Reid on November 22.

Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, “Pacheco is healthy enough to go, but based on the coaches and trainers recommendation, with a short week coming up, he’ll wait.”

Pacheco suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2 and has been sidelined since. The team opened his 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve on November 13. That means Pacheco will need to be activated from IR by December 4, otherwise, he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Omenihu suffered a torn ACL during Kansas City’s postseason run in January and has been rehabbing with hopes of returning this season. His 21-day practice window was also opened on November 13 and December 4 is the deadline to activate him to the active roster.

X Reacts to Isiah Pacheco’s Week 12 Status

Users on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to Pacheco not playing in Week 12.

“This makes sense. No need to put them on the field for this game when they have a bigger one coming up on a short week,” another person wrote.

“Kareem Hunt gets one more week of being a workhorse, and he’s essentially a must play against a poor Carolina run defense, especially in a week with a lot of byes,” Hutchinson Brown of Football Guys wrote.

“Basically saying they aren’t worried about the Panthers. I’m sure that won’t come back to bite us at all,” another person wrote.

Andy Reid Details RB Rotation When Isiah Pacheco Comes Back

When Pacheco is healthy he is the clear-cut RB1 in Kansas City’s backfield. But there’s uncertainty regarding what his workload will be right out of the gate when he officially returns from injured reserve.

Speaking to the media on November 21, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy didn’t seem overly concerned as to how Pacheco would be re-implemented into the backfield whenever he returns.

“It’s a good problem — I don’t see it as a problem, I used that word, but for him (Isiah Pacheco) 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,” Nagy explained. “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 (Hunt) 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.”

With Pacheco officially out for Week 12, his next chance to return to the lineup is in Week 13, when the Chiefs face the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. That game will be played on Black Friday — November 29 — at 2 p.m. Central Time and will be available to watch on Amazon’s Prime Video.