Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has cleared concussion protocol and will be available for his team’s Week 17 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL media.
Pacheco is also dealing with a shoulder injury and was listed as questionable for the Bengals game on Friday, but apparently, his shoulder is just fine, too.
This is a major update for the Chiefs, as fellow halfback Clyde Edwards-Helaire is questionable for Sunday due to an illness. Had both Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire been sidelined, La’Mical Perine would have been the team’s only available running back against Cincinnati.
Pacheco has represented a significant part of Kansas City’s offense this season.
In the 13 games he has played, Pacheco has rushed for 805 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. In addition, he has hauled in 37 receptions for 209 yards and a score. Two weeks ago, Pacheco carried the ball 18 times for 110 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Green Bay Packers. He has tallied 100 yards rushing twice this year. He racked up a season-high 115 yards against the New York Jets back in Week 4.
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 was a pleasant surprise for Kansas City during his rookie campaign, registering 830 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, logging a robust 4.9 yards per attempt.
The Chiefs desperately need to get themselves back on track with the playoffs approaching, as they have lost three of their last four games to fall to 9-6 on the season. They have also gone just 3-5 since beginning the year with a record of 6-1.
Kansas City can clinch the AFC West division title with a win over the Bengals this weekend. However, the club now has no chance of securing home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
After facing Cincinnati on Sunday, the Chiefs will wrap up the regular season when they take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Jan. 7.
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