Andy Reid has already warned the rest of the NFL about Travis Kelce as the tight end decided to postpone retirement, but the 35-year-old may not be the only Kansas City Chiefs star other teams in the league should fear in 2025.
According to the Chiefs head coach, running back Isiah Pacheco will bounce back from a challenging year, where he dealt with an early injury, by delivering a stronger performance next season. A similar feeling to the one he has with Kelce.
“I think he’ll be even better this year,” Reid said of Pacheco on Monday morning at the NFL annual meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, via The Kansas City Star. “He was forcing that thing coming back.”
A challenging 2024 season for Pacheco
Pacheco fractured his fibula in Week 2 and spent time on Injured Reserve, missing up to nine games. During his absence, the Chiefs brought back Kareem Hunt, and the veteran RB settled in perfectly.
Isiah Pacheco #10 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs with the ball during the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 03, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Pacheco came back for the final stretch of the 2024 NFL regular season and playoffs, but his production wasn’t the same. The 2022 seventh-round pick racked up just 310 yards and a touchdown on 83 carries over six regular-season games, recording a career-low 3.7 yards per carry.
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Reid, however, made it clear that the team didn’t rush his return. The Chiefs head coach explained that, while Pacheco was fully cleared to come back, the injury still took a toll on him.
“He was physically ok to go,” Reid said. “But when you’re looking at [the film], it’s minute stuff — just maybe that ability to cut as quick as he did before. Now it’s still quick, but you’re talking inches here. Was it what he could do before? Well, it wasn’t.”
Pacheco’s attitude a great sign for Reid
Either way, Reid appreciated Pacheco’s toughness throughout the year. In fact, it’s that mental fortitude that makes him predict a big comeback season for the running back.
“Most guys probably wouldn’t have come back, but if you know him for about a minute, you’ll know that he wasn’t going to be held back,” Reid added. “He was getting better every week, and I think you’ll just see him back to what he was before.”
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Pacheco wasn’t the only Chiefs player who struggled in 2024. While the likes of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice were also sidelined due to injuries, Kelce experienced a tough year despite being healthy. Reid, however, predicts big things both for Travis and Pacheco in 2025.
