The Kansas City Chiefs were dealt a blow when they learned that starting running back Isiah Pacheco will be “week-to-week” after suffering a MCL injury in Monday’s win over the Washington Commanders. While the injury leaves Pacheco’s future up in the air, it creates a major opportunity for Brashard Smith to ascend in the Chiefs' backfield.
Smith will likely see an increased role alongside Kareem Hunt when the Chiefs take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. Aside from a mouth-watering matchup against the Bills’ run defense, a breakout performance by Smith could change the team’s plans at the deadline and even save them millions of dollars.
Brashard Smith Set for Breakout Game vs. Bills’ Struggling Run Defense
It starts with a good reason why Smith will take off against the Bills. While there is a massive opportunity for touches in Pacheco’s absence, there is also a wide-open runway waiting for him in Buffalo.
The Bills’ have been strong against the pass this season, ranking sixth in the NFL by holding offenses to 5.4 net yards per attempt. While Buffalo hasn’t faced an offense like the Chiefs, which employs Patrick Mahomes and is hitting its stride with the return of Rashee Rice, it also has coughed up the league’s second-highest yards per carry at 5.5.
This has cleared the path for some massive performances from opposing running backs. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns before the Bills pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback in Week 1. Bijan Robinson carved up the Buffalo defense for 170 yards and a touchdown in a Week 6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Even in last week’s blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, Rico Dowdle ran eight times for 54 yards and could have had a bigger day if the game didn’t get out of hand.
There’s also an argument that things could get worse for the Bills. Ed Oliver suffered a severe biceps injury in the win over Carolina and Buffalo is currently down to fourth-round rookie Deone Walker and veterans Larry Ogunjobi and Jordan Phillips with Daquan Jones week-to-week with a calf injury.
Short on talent and big on explosive plays, it should give Smith a chance to stand out in the Chiefs backfield and change the way the team approaches next week’s trade deadline.
Chiefs’ Cap Crunch Makes Brashard Smith the Key to Solving Their RB Problem
Running back has been a key need for the Chiefs entering the deadline and there have been some big names thrown around. De’Von Achane of the Miami Dolphins and Breece Hall of the New York Jets are two popular targets among fans but outside of the draft capital it would cost to bring them to Kansas City, it would also cost money with a contract extension to keep them beyond this season.
Hall is someone that could command a significant amount of draft capital to acquire in a trade. But teams also have to factor in the cost to sign him after the final year of his rookie deal. Spotrac currently projects his market value to be at $9.7 million per season and his contract could look similar to the four-year, $36 million extension Rhamondre Stevenson signed with the New England Patriots in 2024 or the three-year, $24 million extension D’Andre Swift signed with the Chicago Bears a few months earlier.
Achane is another target that could cost the Chiefs money in the long run. While he’s under contract through the 2026 season, the added year of control could increase Miami’s asking price in a trade. If the Chiefs give up a significant amount of draft capital, they would probably like to keep Achane into his late 20s, which Spotrac suggests could cost $9.8 million per season. This price could also go up if the Chiefs wait, as a strong performance could increase his value.
After a brief period where teams looked to cut costs at running back, the price has gone up with backs like Henry and Saquon Barkley producing well into their late 20s. It puts an increased importance on finding cheap talent. According to Over The Cap, the Chiefs are also $42 million over the cap for 2026 and while some cap numbers such as Mahomes $78.2 million figure for next year can be pushed down the road, Kansas City would probably like to spend that money elsewhere.
With Smith on a rookie deal that has cap hits of $1.03 million in 2026, $1.15 million in 2027 and $1.26 million in 2028, it would be nice if he could step up and be the answer in Kansas City’s backfield. The first step is to take advantage of a soft matchup against the Bills and become a cheap solution at running back.