KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If you think you know who the Chiefs' number one running back is, think again.
“It is what it is as far as who is going to be out there. There’s only one guy that’s going out there most of the time, and we’re going to support whoever that guy is," said Greg Lewis, Chiefs running backs coach.
Each week it seems the Chiefs are going with whoever has the hot hand. But the coaches have said it's not about who starts the game but rather what they do while on the field.
“For me, it’s a brotherhood in that running back room. We’re pushing one another," said rookie running back Isiah Pacheco. "We’re giving each other examples of how we could have hit runs better and what we see here, what did they see from the sidelines, so we’re building in this room and there’s a lot of football left. We need all the guys to compete here and to win."
In last week's win over Jacksonville, Pacheco got the start and had 16 carries for 82 yards. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was in for only four total snaps.
“Clyde wants to play. So, I wouldn’t expect anything less than how he handled it — it was like a pro, but he wants to play," said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
The Chiefs drafted Edwards-Helaire in the first round two years ago. While his role has become smaller, his leadership has remained the same — even coaching up the rookie.
After Pacheco's fumble against the Jaguars, he shared what his teammate said to him as he came off the field.
“Hey, it’s ups and downs in this game, there’s more game left, we’ve got a lot of game, keep your head up and let’s go — we got work to do," Pacheco said.
