Chiefs coach Andy Reid is saving something special for the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday.
Reid said on Friday that he won’t have running back Isiah Pacheco play on Sunday against the Panthers in their Week 12 matchup. Pacheco is still recovering from a broken fibula, so the Chiefs are giving him more time to heal.
Because of the short week before the Friday game against the Raiders, Reid decided not to activate Pacheco or defensive end Charles Omenihu for the Panthers game.
Reid mentioned on Thursday that the Chiefs, with input from trainers and offensive coaches, were already thinking about protecting Pacheco this week by making the decision for him.
“He’s a spark plug now, emotionally,” Reid said. “He’s something that way, and he’s worked his tail off to get to the point that he’s at now. We’ve got to keep an eye on him that way. He would have played three weeks ago if he had his choice, but that’s sometimes how it goes. I appreciate that mentality. That’s what’s helped him get to this point.”
Pacheco and Omenihu both practiced the whole week.
With three more light practice days before the weeknight game, both players could be back for the division game on Friday.
Kareem Hunt, who has been averaging 3.7 yards per carry as the starting running back while Pacheco has been out, will remain the starter.
Pacheco was put on injured reserve on September 18 after breaking his fibula in a Week 2 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Omenihu is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in last year’s AFC Championship Game win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Pacheco, 25, rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 54 yards in the two games before his injury. Since being drafted in the seventh round by Kansas City in 2022, he has gained 2,328 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 touchdowns in 33 games (26 starts).
Omenihu, 27, had a career-high seven sacks in 11 games (one start) in his first season with the Chiefs in 2023. He has 18.5 sacks in 72 career games (11 starts) with the Houston Texans (2019-21), San Francisco 49ers (2021-22), and Kansas City. He was drafted by Houston in the fifth round in 2019.
