Kansas City’s starting running back spoke after the first session of the team’s mandatory minicamp.
On the first day of the Kansas City Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp, running back Isiah Pacheco had a different experience than a year ago.
The third-year pro out of Rutgers spent the 2023 offseason recovering from a pair of offseason surgeries. Until deep in training camp, he spent most of his time on the field wearing a yellow non-contact jersey.
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
But heading into 2024, things are different.
“I was just talking about that today: [wearing] the red and gold,” he said of putting aside a practice jersey generally reserved for quarterbacks. “I was one of the first to do it at the running back position. It felt special, but I don’t want to go back that route.”
Instead, Pachceo wants to be there for his teammates who face the same struggle.
“I’m just trying to lock in and be there for my guys that are in that position right now,” he added, “and that are looking forward to getting healthier.”
It’s easy to miss what offseason practices might be like for injured players, who are often out of mind when out of sight. Without his teammates around him, Pacheco found it was harder to improve.
“There were no [organized team activities],” he recalled. “The most important thing in the offseason is to get better — and finding ways to get better. For me, it was finding ways to get better in the rehab room — not on the field with the guys, having fun [and] throwing the football around.
“Now, I’m out there, excited, hearing music, throwing the football around. It gets me going just knowing I’m there — and have a lot of guys’ support.”
It’s also easy to forget that for injured players, there’s no true break between seasons; the grind of rehab continues. Now that he’s played into February in both of his pro seasons, Pacheco has found the time off to be a blessing.
“I went into this offseason focusing on myself,” he explained. “My first offseason to get a little more comfortable [and have] room to relax.”
In 2023, Pacheco rebounded from another surgery in December to exceed 70% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps in all four playoff games. He’s ready to get a similar workload right out of the gate.
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
“Whatever coach asks me to do,” he declared, “I’m willing to take on the role or the task and just be the guy that some of the guys look to as a leader.”
Following back-to-back title runs, Pacheco is ready for that role, too — and understands its importance from his own experience.
“Just having the leaders in my corner not allowing my game to go downhill when there’s a mistake,” he said. “There’s a lot of plays in the game. There’s four quarters in a game, and you’re going to have ups and downs. The momentum’s going to shift. [You have to] understand that whoever comes out on top has the most heart.”
Now able to fully focus on football instead of recovering from an injury, the running back is close to his desired playing weight.
“Around 210 or 208 is where I like to play,” he noted. “I came in around 216 out of the combine. That was combine weight. Other than that, when I’m on the field, I like to play at around 210 or 208 and stay a little loose and flexible.”
Unofficially reported as a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice, Pacheco did have an explanation.
“I got a little cleated in my tattoo I just got,” he revealed. “It just started bleeding a little bit. Other than that, I was good to go.”
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2024/6/11/24176334/chiefs-news-rb-isiah-pacheco-finally-able-focus-on-himself?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger
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