Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco suffered a toe injury in the divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills this past weekend, leaving his status for the AFC title game against the Baltimore Ravens in serious question.
Pacheco is the Chiefs’ best running back and played a critical role in Kansas City’s ability to establish the ground game against the Bills, and his absence would leave a huge hole in the offense against the stout Ravens defense.
But Pacheco didn’t sound too concerned about his availability this weekend and said he would “absolutely” play vs. Baltimore, per Aaron Ladd.
Asked #Chiefs Isiah Pacheco (toe) if he’ll play Sunday in Baltimore: “Absolutely”
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) January 24, 2024
This is ultimately not Pacheco’s call, but his confidence is a big indicator that the injury is minor despite his current status leading up to the game.
The Chiefs will face a tough Ravens front seven that limited Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary to just 22 rushing yards in the divisional round, so Pacheco’s presence would be huge for the Chiefs’ offense in the conference title game.
With so much inconsistency in the pass-catching game, the stability of Pacheco’s legs would go a long way for what Kansas City likes to do on offense.
If Pacheco can’t play, the run game will lean on former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire out of the backfield with third-string rusher La’Mical Perine behind him.
A win for the Chiefs would vault them back into the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season and give them chance to defend their title from this past season.
But they’ll have to take down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens first.
The post Isiah Pacheco Has 1-Word Response About His Status For Sunday appeared first on The Cold Wire.