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Adam Teicher, ESPN Workers Author
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are heading into unfamiliar territory with out operating again Isiah Pacheco, who sustained a leg injury late in Sunday’s game that can probably land him on injured reserve and see him miss 6-8 weeks. He is been their main rusher in every of the previous two seasons and was on tempo via two video games to have the primary 1,000-yard season of his profession.
Pacheco was handed or thrown the ball 24 instances in Sunday’s 26-25 win over the Cincinnati Bengals earlier than he left with the damage.
Coach Andy Reid likes to suppose the Chiefs have one other again who’s able to dealing with an analogous workload. However he acknowledged that between his two selections, undrafted rookie Carson Steele and not too long ago acquired veteran Samaje Perine, he would not know for certain.
“I’d let you know I’ve confidence in them,” Reid stated. “I simply have not skilled it with them.”
Reid stated that normal supervisor Brett Veach “goes via his lists and individuals and we’ll simply see the place that goes, however we’re blessed to have some good individuals right here.”
The Chiefs are planning to herald former operating again Kareem Hunt on a go to Tuesday, league sources advised ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs’ first-round draft decide in 2020 and their main rusher that season, is on their injured reserve listing and never eligible to be activated till Week 5 in opposition to the New Orleans Saints.
The Chiefs even have two backs, Keaontay Ingram and Emani Bailey, on their follow squad. Ingram rushed 62 instances for 134 yards and caught eight passes in 20 video games the previous two seasons for the Arizona Cardinals. Bailey, like Steele, is an undrafted rookie.
Regardless of his inexperience, Steele is the most logical choice to take the biggest share of Pacheco’s role. He has 9 carries for 27 yards this season.
“He’ll should step it up there and in that position,” Reid stated. “However I feel he likes to be challenged, and I feel this can be an excellent problem for him.”
Steele misplaced a fumble late within the first half Sunday, resulting in a Bengals subject objective. However he additionally served as an efficient short-yardage runner for the Chiefs, one thing they’ve lacked in current seasons.
The Chiefs gave the ball to Steele 4 instances Sunday after they wanted one or two yards for a primary down. He obtained the required yardage each time, together with twice on fourth down.
He got here to the Chiefs as an unlikely candidate to make the workforce, on condition that they already had Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire, however he impressed straight away.
“His assignments in OTAs have been fairly crisp,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy stated. “He knew what he was doing [and] he knew the place he was going. You by no means understand how he’ll do till you place the pads on.
“He took it to coaching camp and put the pads on [and] made some good performs. A splash play right here or there undoubtedly helps, but it surely needs to be constant over durations of performs and collection of drives. I believed he did that.”
Perine, 29, is in his eighth NFL season and along with his fifth workforce. The Chiefs signed him this 12 months after his launch from the Denver Broncos.
“It simply appears like one other place the place I can hopefully contribute,” Perine stated.
Perine had greater than 25 touches in a sport twice in his profession. He had 27 touches in 2017 when he was with Washington and once more in 2022 when he was with Cincinnati in a sport in opposition to the Chiefs.
However he is completed most of his higher work in current seasons as a receiver. Final season with the Broncos, Perine had nearly as many move receptions (50) as dashing makes an attempt (53).
“Perine has at all times been an actual good safety man, a third-down again in addition to a first- or second-[down] again,” Reid stated, “however anyone you are feeling actual comfy in there taking part in on third down with all of the loopy blitzes that happen.”
The Chiefs go to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 for “Sunday Night time Soccer” (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
