The Kansas City Chiefs escaped Week 2 with a 26-25 win over the Cincinnati Bengals thanks to a 51-yard game-winning field goal from Harrison Butker as time expired.
However, immediately following the game, the mood around the team was solemn, as star running back Isiah Pacheco suffered a significant injury that will sideline him for quite some time. In the locker room, Pacheco had a towel over his head and watery eyes while head coach Andy Reid consoled him. What injury did Pacheco suffer, and how long will he be out?
What Happened to Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco?
With about two minutes to go against the Bengals, Pacheco limped off the field. While Pacheco never returned to the game, he was seen jumping up and down to celebrate Butker’s game-winning kick, and reporters who spoke to him after the game said he was in good spirits and it didn’t seem like anything was wrong.
Pacheco injury damn pic.twitter.com/H6eWAKS2o3
— Tedd Buddwell 🏀🏈 (@TedBuddy8) September 15, 2024
However, tests must have revealed the extent of his injury shortly after, as Pacheco was visibly upset postgame, and he left the stadium on crutches and in a walking boot.
On Monday morning, it was revealed that Pacheco fractured his fibula, and he’ll be sidelined for quite some time. Pacheco is expected to miss six to eight weeks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He has been added to injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four weeks and very likely longer.
“I don’t have a timeline on (his return),” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. “It’s going to take a little bit of time.”
On Tuesday, the Chiefs signed free agent two running backs: Keaontay Ingram (to their active roster) and Kareem Hunt (to their practice squad). Hunt played for the Chiefs for the first two years of his NFL career, rushing for 2,151 yards and totaling 25 touchdowns in 27 games.
Pacheco took 19 carries for 90 yards (4.7 yards per carry) against Cincinnati in Week 2, adding five catches for 21 yards. He rushed 15 times for 45 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs’ season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens.
After Pacheco exited the contest, the Chiefs used backup running backs Samaje Perine and Carson Steele for the rest of their final drive, which ended on Butker’s game-winning field goal.
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Dr. Jesse Morse said Pacheco will likely need surgery and explained that this is similar to the injury that ended Houston Texans WR Tank Dell’s 2023 season. Dr. Morse estimated that the recovery timeline for Pacheco is around four to 12 weeks.
This is a huge blow to the Chiefs, who are attempting to win their third consecutive Super Bowl. One of the reasons a three-peat has never happened in NFL history is that the extra games add a lot of additional wear and tear on players, increasing the risk of significant injuries.
Fantasy Waiver Wire Advice for Carson Steele and Samaje Perine
The next couple of games for the Chiefs will be played against the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers, so Kansas City should be favored in both. That means that there should be plenty of rushing in the game script, making Carson Steele a potentially significant piece of the offense with Pacheco out.
With that being said, Steele isn’t the only back on the Kansas City roster other than Pacheco. In fact, veteran Samaje Perine is listed ahead of Steele on the unofficial depth chart, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell that from the game against the Bengals.
Steele carried the ball seven times for 24 yards, while Perine didn’t get any rushes, although he was more involved in the air game than was Steele. In Week 1, Steele only ran the ball twice, but Perine didn’t have a carry then either.
However, there is reason to believe that Perine could be more involved going forward.
There’s a chance that his low level of involvement was due, in part, to the fact that he had only joined the team a couple of weeks earlier, while Steele had a full offseason to acclimate to the Kansas City offense. Now that he’s gone through a couple of game weeks of practice and preparation, the Chiefs could be more comfortable giving Perine a significant workload.
Of course, it’s not too likely that their roles would flip to such a degree that Steele wouldn’t get any touches while Pacheco is out. There shouldn’t be any concerns with Steele’s ability to shoulder a heavy load of carries, as he ran the ball 289 times in 2022 at Ball State and another 167 last year at UCLA.
MORE: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice for Week 3
Ultimately, it’s not clear that Steele will be receiving a huge amount of volume, so don’t rush to drop productive players to pick him up. However, if Pacheco is on your team, or if you’re missing a running back due to a separate injury, consider placing a waiver claim for Steele.
If you’re in dire need, especially if you have Pacheco is on your team, consider picking up Perine, but certainly don’t make a concerted effort to clear out roster space for him.