KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium announcer ticked through the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive starters, running back Isiah Pacheco paused for a moment.
It wasn’t to take in the roar of the crowd or feel the biting wind gust through the tunnel that leads to the playing field.
“What was going through my mind was, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get out of this tunnel. I haven’t done it in a while,’” Pacheco said with a laugh.
He’s become a favorite in Chiefs Kingdom with his hard running style, easy smile and slick dance moves after scoring a touchdown, but Pacheco had been sidelined since suffering a broken leg near his ankle joint Sept. 15 late in a Week 2 win against Cincinnati.
By the time the PA announcer was set to holler Pacheco’s name, he crouched on his hands and feet then burst into the daylight.
“I’m a dog,” he said. “Let me get on all fours. I’m going to crawl. That’s what was going through my mind.”
Pacheco received an ovation every bit as loud as Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes from the crowd. It was a fitting tribute for a player known for firing up teammates and fans.
“Isiah brings a lot of energy, so it’s always good when you get ‘Pop’ back in there,” center Creed Humphrey said.
His welcome-back moment? “That second carry when I gave a little contact against No. 41,” Pacheco said.
It was a 2-yard gain on third-and-1 that led to a field goal on the game’s opening drive.
“It felt awesome, just having that moment to get that contact again,” Pacheco said. “I’ve been missing it. I’ve been backed up on anger. Being able to let that anger out on the field was a blessing.”
Pacheco added a 34-yard run on the opening drive of the second half, which led to another field goal in the Chiefs’ 19-17 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders. He finished with seven carries for 44 yards and also caught a 5-yard pass in the game.
“It was good to get Pacheco some reps in there,” Reid said. “I thought he did a nice job when we had an opportunity to run.”
Pacheco said he cut as hard and as exaggerated as possible on the leg/ankle in practice, so he could feel comfortable during the healing process. If it hurt, he told the trainers and they continued to work through the injury.
“I wanted to make sure I was going as hard as I could,” Pacheco said.
He always does.
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