The Kansas City Chiefs are looking like they got the biggest steal of the 2022 draft, but a lot of us knew that would be the case 10 weeks ago.
The Chiefs took former Rutgers running back Isiah Pacheco in the seventh round of this last draft. When he was selected, no one thought anything of it, because no one usually does for the seventh-round picks.
But man, what we saw from the rookie running back in training camp was amazing. I think anyone who follows the Chiefs knew that he would start eventually. And on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he got the bulk of the workload.
Yeah, it isn’t great to see Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a guy the Chiefs used a first-round draft pick on ride the bench during a game where the running game is going so well, but sometimes that’s how it is.
There was a moment, though, when I thought we were going to see Edwards-Helaire in the game, for the rest of the game.
As soon as Pacheco fumbled in the red zone, I was sure that he would see fewer carries. However, head coach Andy Reid gave the ball right back to him. “Yeah, he is a young guy, man,” Reid said. “You got to get back on the horse. He was upset that he fumbled. He learned from it. Now you got to go.”
That quote right there lets you know that Reid trusts his players, including Pacheco, more than a lot of coaches would, especially when you consider he is a seventh-round rookie.
That also lets you know that Reid is a firm believer in giving players a second chance during the game, and it payed off.
How Pacheco responded tells you why Reid trusts him too. Pacheco went on to run angrier than any running back has for the Chiefs this year. He finished with 82 rushing yards on 16 carries, which is now a career-high for him. It appears the Chiefs have found themselves a running back that can run between the tackles, at least better than Edwards-Helaire can.
