Running back Isiah Pacheco is recovering from surgeries for a torn labrum and a broken hand, coach Andy Reid said recently as the Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up a three-day rookie camp.
“He’s making progress,” Reid told ESPN.com. “We’ll just see how he does with it. I can’t even give you a timeline on it, but he’s doing well.”
It’s been reported that Kansas City Chiefs running back and former Vineland high football star Isaih Pacheco played the entire 2022 NFL season with some of those injuries. Kansas City Chiefs reporter Devon Clements tweeted that, according to college football insider Kristian Dyer, Pacheco had a torn labrum for most of the regular season. He apparently also broke his hand during the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals. But he was still able to play in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dyer, of TODAY Sports Media Group, said Pacheco played “much” of his rookie season with a torn labrum and suffered a broken hand during the AFC Title game. He had surgery on both injuries after the Super Bowl, per Dyer.
Not only did Pacheco play in the Super Bowl, he had 76 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs’ come-from-behind 38-35 over the Philadelphia Eagles. Dyer also reported that the running back underwent surgery to repair both injuries after the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII. This indicates that he will likely be healthy and ready for the upcoming 2023 NFL season.
Pacheco had 830 yards and five TDs in his rookie season.
He was highly recruited by several schools in the northeast but ultimately chose Rutgers University. The running back played all four seasons of his career at Rutgers and had an immediate impact on the field for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. During his freshman season in 2018, he rushed for 551 yards and three touchdowns.
In 2019, during his sophomore season, he rushed for over 700 yards and seven touchdowns. His junior season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he still rushed for 515 yards in just nine game, while catching a receiving touchdown as well. With another 647 rushing yards and five touchdowns in his senior season, he finished his career at Rutgers with 2,442 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Some believe that the Kansas City Chiefs got a true steal by drafting him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
