The Kansas City Chiefs may be without their two top running backs in Week 17, as both Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are listed as questionable for the Chiefs’ matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
Pacheco suffered a concussion during his team’s Christmas Day loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and has yet to be released from concussion protocol. He is also nursing a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, Edwards-Helaire is dealing with an illness and did not practice on Thursday or Friday.
Should both Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire miss the game against the Bengals, that would leave La’Mical Perine as the only available halfback for the Chiefs this weekend.
Pacheco in particular has been a crucial part of Kansas City’s offense this season. In 13 games, he has rushed for 805 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. In addition, he has caught 37 passes for 209 yards and a score.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Rutgers, was selected by the Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, appearing in all 17 contests and registering 830 yards and five touchdowns while logging 4.8 yards per attempt.
This year, with the Chiefs’ aerial attack struggling, Pacheco became an even more integral cog in the team’s offense, so if Kansas City is without him against Cincinnati, it could certainly pose problems.
Meanwhile, Edwards-Helaire has totaled 222 yards and a touchdown while posting 3.3 yards per tote in 14 games this season. He has also recorded 16 catches for 179 yards and a score.
Perine has only carried the ball one time this year, gaining one yard. He began his NFL career with the New York Jets in 2020 and spent two seasons there, totaling 263 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He joined the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad in 2022 but never saw live game action with the club.
The Chiefs signed the 25-year-old to their own practice squad earlier this year.
Kansas City is 9-6 heading into the matchup with the Bengals.
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