As the Kansas City Chiefs ranked 25th in the NFL in rushing this past season, averaging a mere 106.6 yards per game, it's safe to assume that head coach Andy Reid and returning offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy are gearing up to completely rebuild the backfield.
And part of that process, of course, would mean saying goodbye to Isiah Pacheco, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his young career and has likely played his last snap in a Kansas City uniform.
As a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft, the Rutgers alum obviously wasn't expected to come in and be a superstar, but he certainly performed admirably as a rookie, rushing for 830 yards and five touchdowns while adding another 130 yards on just 10 receptions. And he followed that up with an even stronger sophomore campaign, rushing for 935 yards and seven touchdowns and adding 244 yards and two scores as a receiver.
Sadly, it's been all downhill since, as Pacheco has suffered several injuries over the past two years that have forced him to miss 14 games. And even when he has taken the field, he simply hasn't been as productive as the Chiefs have needed him to be.
So, again, the likelihood of the 26-year-old returning doesn't look good. Nevertheless, let's take a quick look back at Pacheco's 2025 campaign and what his immediate future might look like.
Looking back at Isiah Pacheco's contract year
After missing much of the 2024 season after suffering a fractured fibula, Pacheco was ready to roll to start the 2025 campaign. But much like Kansas City as a whole, he just couldn't get things going.
Appearing in 13 games, missing three during the middle of the year with an MCL sprain in his right knee and then, weirdly, sitting out the season finale for "rest" purposes, Pacheco rushed for 462 yards and a touchdown, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry, and added another 101 yards and a score on 19 receptions.
The biggest thing missing from Pacheco's game this past year was clearly his speed, as his burst just hasn't been the same since his return from the aforementioned fractured fibula in 2024. And speed is what makes him special, as he's never been one to elude tackles well on a consistent basis.
The 5-foot-10, 216-pounder still has no issue getting physical when necessary, but without that explosiveness, he's going to struggle. And explosiveness was just lacking for the Chiefs altogether, as Pacheco had zero runs of 20 yards or longer all season, while Kareem Hunt had only one.
The only saving grace for Kansas City is that at least Pacheco wasn't a high-priced player, as the final year of his rookie deal had him earning only about $1.1 million. He'll obviously get more than that on the open market, but he certainly won't be costing any team too much money.
Isiah Pacheco's market outlook
Despite his struggles the past two years, Pacheco will obviously still have some suitors in free agency. But he certainly shouldn't be expecting to be a genuine RB1 wherever he lands, nor should he be expecting an overly large (or lengthy) contract by NFL standards, as Spotrac projects him to receive a one-year deal worth roughly $4.3 million.
As far as specific suitors go, in alphabetical order, the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos (oh, the horror), Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Commanders all seem like viable candidates at this point, given each of their respective situations.
Will Isiah Pacheco return to the Chiefs in 2026?
Now, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility that Pacheco could come back. But as we've said several times already, the chance of that happening seems extremely low, as the Chiefs appear to be planning for a complete overhaul in the backfield.
Kansas City has been linked to several of the more high-profile names set to hit the market, including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, and Tyler Allgeier, among others. And if things don't work out in free agency, expect the Chiefs to go searching for a running back in the draft, with Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love easily being the top target in that regard.
If, by some miracle, Pacheco does return, he certainly won't be at the top of the depth chart. So, it's just best for both sides to start fresh.
Final prediction for Isiah Pacheco
With so many possibilities from which to choose, this wasn't an easy prediction to pin down. But after looking at all the options, I'm officially calling for Pacheco to sign a two-year, $8 million deal with the New Orleans Saints.
With Alvin Kamara getting older, the Saints, who were even worse than the Chiefs on the ground last season—ranking 28th at just 94.3 yards per game—could obviously use some help in the backfield. Bringing in a two-time Super Bowl winner to give young quarterback Tyler Shough some stability could work wonders. There's also something about a dome environment that I like for Pacheco.
The Commanders would be a close second, and the Lions could be a dark-horse candidate after trading David Montgomery to Houston.