5 Chiefs Immediately on Thin Ice to Begin 2025 Offseason
By Chris Schad
4. Isiah Pacheco, RB
It wasn’t long ago that Isiah Pacheco was the gold standard for running backs in the NFL. Pacheco had the holy trinity of what general managers want in their running backs these days in that he was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, had a $1 million cap hit and was productive with 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first two seasons.
But Pacheco still enters this offseason on thin ice and it might not even be his fault.
While going cheap at running back is beneficial due to the short shelf life of the position, general managers went too far the other way last offseason. Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones were big names that hit the market last spring and all three of them played massive roles for their new teams including Barkley who lifted the Lombardi Trophy with the Eagles on Sunday night.
Pacheco also suffered a fractured fibula in a Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and missed nine games before returning in a Week 13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. While the Chiefs were happy to get him back, Pacheco didn’t look the same, posting 3.5 yards per carry over the final five regular season games and posting 37 yards on 13 carries in Kansas City’s run to the Super Bowl.
If Pacheco had a big year, he could have put himself in a position to secure a second contract this offseason. With a strong draft class coming in, Pacheco could find himself with some unwanted competition even though his 2024 season could be chalked up to bad luck.
Either way, Pacheco is in a situation he would rather not be in and could find himself on thin ice in the coming months.