The Kansas City Chiefs, for their standards, are coming off a disappointing 2024-25 season. Most other teams’ fan bases would be content with a deep playoff run, but the Patrick Mahomes-led franchise is striving for more than just a Super Bowl berth. They want to win it all.
Improving on offense would go a long way towards making that happen again. Hopes are high for positions like wide receiver to deliver a bounce-back campaign. One other skill position, however, could be flying under the radar as training camp approaches.
In his July fantasy football rankings for Pro Football Focus, Nathan Jahnke zeroed in on the running back spot. No Kansas City halfback was among the top 28 players on the list, reflecting a potentially harsh reality about the club’s depth.
Outlet Says Isiah Pacheco Could Be Member of ‘Ugly’ Chiefs RB Rotation
Isiah Pacheco checked in at 29th, with Jahnke emphasizing that the former seventh-round pick “wasn’t nearly as effective” after returning from a broken fibula. Pacheco once again projects to be the starter in 2025, albeit on a team with other options in both the run and pass games.
“The general appeal of a Chiefs running back is that they are typically a high-scoring offense, so even though they pass the ball a lot, their running back should score a lot of touchdowns,” Jahnke wrote. “The offense hasn’t scored as many points in the last two seasons, but that could change this year with a healthy wide receiver room. There’s a chance he gets back to his 2023 form, scoring potentially more touchdowns, but there is also a chance he is in an ugly three-man backfield that changes from one week to the next, making it impossible to know if or when you can start him. There are plenty of scenarios in between, making him a fine gamble outside of the top-24 running backs.”
The aforementioned 2023 season was undoubtedly Pacheco’s best. Despite not playing in three regular-season contests, he amassed 935 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns in addition to career-high receiving marks (44 receptions, 244 yards and 2 scores). Finishing as the No. 17 fantasy running back, he seemed destined for a cemented status around the league.
Last season, though, saw Pacheco come back down to earth. With Kareem Hunt (No. 70 in Jahnke’s rankings) back in the fold and Elijah Mitchell (No. 65) signed, that makes two potential snap-eaters. That’s without even mentioning rookie Brashard Smith, who is already turning heads this offseason.
Health Is Overwhelming Key for Kansas City’s Halfbacks in 2025
Something that could work either for or against Pacheco in 2025 is health. The fourth-year man played in all 17 games as a rookie but has since failed to come close to that mark. Foot, shoulder, hand and rib injuries – on top of the aforementioned leg break – make for a long list of ailments. Should he prove to be durable in a contract year, he’d be able to stay on the field and keep others off it.
The health aspect also applies to the depth behind Pacheco. Hunt was excellent in his return to Kansas City at first, toting the ball a whopping 111 times with 5 touchdowns in his first five games back. With that said, he slowed down as the year went on and will turn 30 years old by the start of the regular season.
Mitchell, a former sixth-round NFL Draft pick, has topped out at 11 regular-season games played. He did so in both 2021 and 2023, with a five-game 2022 effort sandwiched in between. The longtime San Francisco 49ers halfback spent all of last season on the shelf due to a hamstring injury. He’s yet another piece the Chiefs can’t necessarily count on.
All of this is a long road to a short point: Pacheco’s range of outcomes is almost as wide as the range for those below him on the pecking order.
