The Kansas City Chiefs are bulky during the offseason after sprinting through Isaiah Pacheco and struggling to find form after suffering severe fibre damage in 2024.
Isiah Pacheco struggles after fibre fracture
Last year was the most difficult season Isia Pacheco faced in his three years in the NFL, as a terrifying fibre fracture in Week 2 ruled out the Chief Star for six weeks.
He made a miraculous recovery from what could have been a career-ending injury, but the two Super Bowl winners were not old forces when he returned to the field.
From the 8th to 18th week, the Chiefs superstar was used sparingly, and despite Kansas City making the Super Bowl, he didn’t have as much of an impact as the first three years.
Pacheco managed just 310 yards from 83 carries in 2024. This was warped in the previous two campaigns, where both chiefs reached over 800 yards during the regular season.
Kareem Hunt took over as RB1 when Pacheco dropped out of the team and managed 728 yards when his role was upgraded.
Isiah Pacheco’s new look
Things have been different this year, and now Pacheco has time to recover from his injuries and is able to return to his dangerous best in 2025.
During this summer’s OTA, Pacheco explained that he was ready to attack the New Year, which gained much needed weight after his fracture.
“I’m just going back to 216, 4.37 Isiah Pacheco style,” he said of weight gain.
“You’re just getting rid of your tail, sweating every day, and not eating enough to regain your weight,” he said of last season. “We don’t have much time to gain weight during the season, not the entire offseason or the program they have for us.”
Isiah Pacheco puts that extra work into it. This is bounce back season. 😤
🎥:ig | lil_poppy856 pic.twitter.com/ors6tfp9lu
– Bradhenson Productions (@bradhensonpro) March 28, 2025
Even Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was excited by the prospect of having a full health spaCzech at his disposal again this year.
“He’s putting on a few pounds,” coach Andy Reed said of Pacheco. “He leaned down there a bit last year, but man, I think he looks ridiculous right now.”
It is clear that Pacheco is in a much better place almost a year after his fibre fracture, and it is important that he makes a strong return in a significant year in his career.
This season, Pacheco enters the final year of his rookie contract and if he is rewarded with a long-term contract in Kansas City, his first two years are worthy of being very rich and he needs to have a great year.
