The Kansas City Chiefs spent the first half-dozen games of the season struggling to get their receiving room healthy, but now they have another offensive issue that involves important weapons. Running back Isiah Pacheco has been ruled out for the Chief upcoming AFC championship game rematch against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday after spraining his MCL in the Kansas City’s 28-7 victory against the Washington Commanders on Monday night.  

The story was first reported on ESPN News Services, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid didn’t sound entirely sure about Pacheco’s upcoming absence. 

"We'll just see. He's moving around. But tough kid," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday. "There was a point where he wanted to go back in [Monday] and I wouldn't let him. That's how he's wired. You have to cut his legs off to stop him."

Not having Pacheco would definitely cut the legs out from under the Chiefs running back room. The Chiefs have been using complementary back Kareem Hunt as their short-yardage guy, and Hunt’s proficiency in that role has helped the Chiefs convert 14 of 16 fourth-down plays with quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the field. 

Pacheco was just starting to round back into form after losing part of last season to a fractured fibula, and Hunt has filled in admirably after recovering from his own injuries. 

"He's probably in better shape, just in overall better shape, not that he was in terrible shape before," Reid said of Hunt. "But he's had a year to do it, and kind of get back in the swing after having a little bit of a layoff there."

But the 30-year old Hunt isn’t considered a workhorse back at this point in his career, so there are questions about whether he’d be effective in that role, although Hunt might protest to the contrary. 

"I feel the best I've felt the last three or four years," Hunt said. "Body is feeling good."

The other running back options are rookie Brassard Smith and Elijah Mitchell, but neither option is ideal. Smith had success a couple of weeks ago in a larger role against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he’s undersized and is also considered problematic when it comes to a heavier workload. 

Mitchell is considered a depth piece and an injury reclamation project. He rushed for a thousand yards in 2021 for the San Francisco 49ers, but he missed all of last year while recovering from a hamstring issue. 

Losing Pacheco could accelerate the Chiefs’ running-back timeline as the November 4 trade deadline approaches. Most of the rumors to date have Kansas City focusing on the defensive line, but it looks like they’ll at least need to add a quality depth option at running back.