Isiah Pacheco could slide into important long-term role for Chiefs

One of the single most talked about players in Chiefs Kingdom this preseason has been Isiah Pacheco. The seventh-round rookie running back has been the talk of Chiefs camp, a prospect who generated plenty of buzz in the earliest weeks of the preseason only to find his stock returning to earth somewhat after some mistakes made in games that reminded everyone that he was, in fact, a seventh-round rookie.

Pacheco is a good talking point for fans, to be sure, but not enough has been said about his long-term value to the team. More than anything he can offer in 2022, it’s his ability to turn into a franchise asset for the next few years that really is what should have fans as excited as they are.

The Chiefs might find they can lean on Pacheco quite a bit in the present moment, and that would certainly be a welcome development. Ronald Jones looks like he’s fighting for a roster spot. Jerick McKinnon is around as a productive rotational piece, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is in front of him as a lead back determined to put previous seasons behind. The Chiefs could turn out to be quite thin in the backfield, so if Pacheco is pro-ready for the Chiefs, that bolsters a potentially needy area on the roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs are likely hoping Isiah Pacheco can slide into an important role now for the sake of long-term positioning as well.

Beyond this season is the real value play for Pacheco, however. Even if Jones makes the team, he’s on a one-year deal. The same can be said of McKinnon. Edwards-Helaire will enter the last year of his rookie contract next year (if the Chiefs refuse his fifth-year option) in 2023. In short, the cupboards look quite bare for next season and beyond at running back. The only reason that’s not a major concern is that the position isn’t all that hard to fill in the first place.

If Pacheco can look even as solid as a tandem-worthy player, someone who the Chiefs will want to keep in some sort of committee at the position, then it gives them someone to lean upon for the next four seasons at a position at which there is nobody else at present. It also means they will have some sort of productive security for next to nothing when it comes to cap space. Don’t forget that Pacheco is going to average less than $1 million per season through 2025.

If Pacheco breaks through in a big way in 2022 or even proves he’s capable of being a lead back, then that only further enhances all of the ways in which he’s a solid future asset for the Chiefs. But even if he needs some time to blossom and find his footing as a running back at the professional level, there’s still every reason for the Chiefs to like their chances at having someone like him in the backfield for years to come.