Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco poised for third NFL season

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nobody can quite bring the energy to Chiefs training camp like running back Isiah Pacheco, otherwise known as 'Pop.'

The 25-year-old is a fan favorite and will enter his third season in the league in 2024. Pop has plenty of goals in mind for the upcoming season. In fact, every year, ahead of training camp, Pacheco said he writes his personal goals for the year in a notebook. He and he alone knows the contents of that book, but said he only missed out on one goal last season.

In 2023, the running back was 18th in the league in rushing yards, with 935 on 205 carries. He also added on seven touchdowns.

"Every day I come in here unsatisfied," Pacheco said.

Pacheco returned to training camp in St. Joseph looking a bit different, as slimmed down quite a bit from 2023.

"I stretched a lot and I did a lot of on-field work, work with the wide receivers coach, get more flexible, more fluent and just being able to compete out here," he said.

Head coach Andy Reid and company have some depth at the running back position, with Pacheco's buddy Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but are looking to add even more with recent addition of Louis Rees-Zammit.

Pacheco has taken on more of a leadership role in this 2024 training camp and said that he feels like its his job to motivate Rees-Zammit, as he fights for a spot.

"The transition has been fantastic for him. [I'm] just being that player that is a leader in the room," Pacheco said. "For me to allow him to keep coming out here and putting that in his ear, like just keep working hard and keep finishing is the main thing." 

Over the years, Pacheco has proven his worth to the KC offense and now is the solidified starter. However, as he waits for the pads to come on on Friday, Coach Reid is giving him a handful of reps in practices.

"It's really nothing different. We're not doing anything different there. Just trying to rotate them in, make sure they get their legs under them in these four days and then get them going here," Reid said.

In the meantime, Pop is using his time on the sideline to his advantage.

"If I'm not in, I'm on the sideline um repetitioning, you know, just getting that extra rep in," he said. "Whatever you do on the sideline, it counts."

Kansas City will have another practice on Wednesday morning, before getting a well-deserved off day on Thursday. When the team returns to the practice fields on Friday, the pads will be on and practices will go live.