Tag: Reid

Chiefs’ Andy Reid retracts ‘mess-up’ on momentum-shifting 4th down

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Chiefs coach Andy Reid might have a few play calls he wants back in his 478 career games as a head coach, but he didn’t get 307 victories by playing it safe.

That’s why Reid retracted his statement Sunday night that he regretted deciding to pass on 4th-and-1 from Kansas City’s 31 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

“Well, listen, we’ve been so good in that area — whether it was run or pass — and so, I felt we were in a good position,” Reid said Monday, recapping the 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans. “I thought we had a good play. Again, I thought it was the right thing to do then. This is terrible to say in a situation like this because we didn’t win and we didn’t get that. But I would probably do that same thing again.”

Houston scored its only second-half touchdown after taking over on downs. Prior to the failed fourth-down attempt, the Chiefs forced five straight punts to open the second half. Four of those possessions were three-and-outs.

In Reid’s defense, the Chiefs are 22 of 29 on fourth down this season.

Reid said he understands the pain that follows when play calls and late-game decisions don’t pan out. But he reviewed the game situation once more Sunday night after saying the call was one he “messed up” and came out with a different perspective.

“I thought the risk-reward was right for that time. It slapped me in the face, though. It didn’t go that way,” Reid said.

The Chiefs went 1-3 in November and are not in the current playoff picture with four games remaining in the regular season.

Kansas City (6-7) is far from mathematically eliminated, a point Reid made Monday.

With the Chargers (8-4), Titans (2-11), Broncos (11-2) and Raiders (2-11) left on the schedule, the Chiefs can feasibly get to nine or 10 wins to stand a chance in the wild-card picture. But with one loss to the Chargers on the books and head-to-head defeats at the hands of the Broncos, Texans (8-5) and Jaguars (9-4), the margin for error is zero.

“I have learned over the years that anything’s possible,” Reid said. “I communicated that to the guys. They were down in the dumps after the game. I mean, they put their heart and soul into that thing and we came up short. At the same time, there’s a way you’ve got to pick yourself up and get yourself going again. And hope is always a good motivator there. I think our guys realize that. I mentioned it to them after the game.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 29, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) pounds his fist on the ground after an injury in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice, rookie OT Josh Simmons OK for camp

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice and first-round rookie tackle Josh Simmons will be ready for training camp, head coach Andy Reid confirmed Thursday.

Rice, 25, missed most of last season with a torn right ACL sustained when he collided with quarterback Patrick Mahomes during a Week 4 win against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Rice had been off to a hot start with 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the first three games.

A second-round pick in 2023, Rice has 103 receptions for 1,226 yards and nine TDs in 20 career games.

Simmons, 22, was the final pick of the 2025 first round out of Ohio State. He missed part of last season with the Buckeyes because of a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.

Rice and Simmons both participated in the Chiefs’ non-contact offseason practices. Training camp starts on July 21 at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo.

–Field Level Media

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes will try to win their fourth Super Bowl championship together on Sunday.

Chiefs GM expects TE Travis Kelce to play in 2025: ‘He was fired up’

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INDIANAPOLIS — About four minutes apart, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and Kansas City head coach Andy Reid gave slightly different views of where the franchise stands with tight end Travis Kelce. They agreed on one point: There is no deadline for his decision about playing in 2025.

“We did have a chance to talk before they left,” Reid said Tuesday just before the noon hour of the status of Kelce. “That’s up to Travis. At this point, it’s ‘Get out of town. They’ve played a lot of football here. So, step back, then we’ll talk.’”

Kelce was reportedly given a deadline of March 14, one day before an $11.5 million roster bonus is due to trigger in the final year of his contract. But Veach said adamantly, “There is no deadline.”

Veach said he expects Kelce to play after their most recent conversation.

“He was fired up about being here,” Veach said. “He has one more year under contract. We left it at he’d be back and we’re excited to have him back. As far as I’m concerned, there is no deadline.”

Kelce, 35, said earlier this month he was weighing his future in the wake of the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Kelce wound up with four catches for 39 yards.

“I know everybody wants to know whether I’m playing next year and right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road. I’m kicking every can I can down the road. I’m not making any crazy decisions,” Kelce said on his “New Heights” podcast.

A four-time first-team All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowl choice through 12 NFL seasons, Kelce would carry a $19.8 million cap hit in 2025.

Kelce made 97 receptions for 823 yards in the 2024 regular season, his lowest yardage total since 2014. He posted seven consecutive 1,000-yard years from 2016-22.

–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Recording artist Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) react after the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chiefs notebook: Travis Kelce admires Taylor Swift’s work ethic

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NEW ORLEANS — As the cameras pan around the Caesars Superdome on Sunday during Super Bowl LIX, they’re sure to find Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce’s girlfriend and one of his biggest supporters.

Swift, one of the world’s biggest music stars, is famous for putting on an entertaining show during her lengthy tour schedule.

When asked Thursday if he could take anything from Swift’s work ethic, the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end said he had plenty to admire.

“What I saw on that (Eras Tour) last year was pretty remarkable,” Kelce said. “To see the week in, week out, traveling from one country to the next, how excruciating it is on her body and on her mind, and it’s not just her, it was her entire tour. It was the dancers, it was the band, the singers, it was everybody involved.

“It was an absolute machine, and it was something I could admire watching, and I think about it all the time.”

The noise of fame surrounding Swift, as well as Kelce’s dabblings in entertainment (such as his podcast with brother Jason as well as some acting) are things that Kelce has managed well, as pointed out by his teammates and coaches.

What is his secret?

“My balance is you’ve got to take yourself out of the media world, and it’s a reality whenever you’re not doing media,” Kelce said. “What’s real is the people around you, your loved ones, your family, your support system. Who are you to them, and how is that affecting your life?”

–Safety Justin Reid is one of the few Chiefs with connections to the New Orleans area, having gone to school down the road at Dutchtown High in Geismar, La.

“It’s a cool feeling, because you grew up (in the area) talking about two things: playing in the Superdome and playing in the Super Bowl,” he said, “and I get to do both of them right now.”

Reid’s older brother Eric, an LSU product, never played in the Super Bowl but did play in the Superdome as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

The younger Reid, who joined the Chiefs for the start of their current Super Bowl run at the start of the 2022 season, vividly remembers coming to the Superdome to support his older brother.

“We grew up as Saints fans, but we never actually got to make it to any Saints games,” Reid said. “My first time actually going to the Superdome was when Eric was already in the league playing for the 49ers. So, I was in the Superdome wearing red, same as I am this coming Sunday.

“But I do remember when New Orleans won the Super Bowl (in February 2010), Drew Brees, and how the whole city just exploded in that moment. That’s a core memory for me.”

–Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins joined the Chiefs in a midseason trade from the Tennessee Titans, and he spoke Thursday about his appreciation for his first Super Bowl opportunity and the Chiefs’ commitment toward involving multiple offensive players.

“It’s beautiful. That’s why we win,” Hopkins said. “I’ve been on offenses before where there is a No. 1 receiver, and I’ve been that No. 1 receiver, and not having won, and it’s funny, because my grandfather and I would always watch football, and we’re like, ‘Most Super Bowl teams don’t have just one guy that they get the ball to, but they spread it around,’ and that’s a reason these guys are here.”

The Chiefs’ offensive ability to spread the ball around might call to mind memories of one of Hopkins’ favorite Super Bowl memories, that of the high-flying St. Louis Rams and their “greatest show on turf.”

“My first Super Bowl memory is of the Rams, when the Rams had the greatest show on turf,” Hopkins said. “I watched that game, and I was like, ‘Man, these dudes are pretty good.’”

–David Gladow, Field Level Media

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (left) with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after defeating the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chiefs notebook: Patrick Mahomes digests formations, not tortillas

Posted on | by Field Level Media

NEW ORLEANS — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked Wednesday about his college playing days, specifically about the tradition at Texas Tech of fans throwing tortillas onto the field to celebrate good plays.

Wisely, Mahomes suggested it would be a mistake to try to eat one of those tortillas, saying that he had never done so.

Mahomes’ mental acumen clearly isn’t limited to the football field.

It was that aspect to his game that his head coach, Andy Reid, shouted out at his Super Bowl LIX press conference Wednesday.

“Patrick’s a real sharp guy, very smart, spends a lot of time at the game making sure that all these crazy formations that we have, he can digest them first and then be able to spit them out,” Reid said.

“He can see and anticipate what the defense is going to do. You’ve gotta know where your guys are and you gotta know where their guys are, and be able to digest all that, too.”

–Two years ago in this spot, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had to deal with the unusual circumstance of facing off against his brother, Jason, who was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The two are close, hosting a podcast together, so the challenge of trying to win at the other’s expense was difficult. This time around, the Eagles are once again the opponent, but with Jason having retired, the emotions about the game for Travis are a little clearer.

“It’s going to be a little more comfortable for me,” Kelce said. “I love cheering for the Birds whenever I’m not in a Chiefs uniform. It’s mixed emotions of a lot of love that I have for the city of Philadelphia and a lot of the people in that organization, and I don’t wish any bad on them, but man, I want this thing more than ever, man.”

–As the Chiefs have won more and more, they have had to take on the role of being the bad guy, and defensive end Chris Jones had an interesting take on what it means to be hated.

“Every good story has to have a villain,” the three-time Super Bowl champion said. “It’s OK. People love something new. Anything in life, once you get a surplus of it, you start to want to change.”

Jones likened that desire to someone wanting a new car once the dashboard lights start flashing or wanting new shoes even though the old shoes still fit.

“People hate repetition. I get it,” Jones added. “If I was on the outside looking in, I would be saying the same thing, ‘I’m sick of the Chiefs.’”

–Carson Wentz, the Chiefs’ backup option at quarterback, has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career, and he’ll be facing the team that drafted him Sunday. Wentz was injured during the Eagles’ run to a Super Bowl title in 2017, so he couldn’t participate. It’s now a slightly different experience, as the likeliest way he’ll be playing Sunday is via injury.

“(Being out hurt last time) fueled me to come back,” Wentz said.

Wentz, 32, admits to still being competitive, but he has also embraced a backup mentality.

“No one comes into this league getting drafted where I was drafted (No. 2 overall in 2016) looking for that. But at the same time, it’s the hand I’ve been dealt,” Wentz said. “I’m still grateful to be playing it at my age. Still loving it and having a good time with it. This has been a fun year.”

–David Gladow, Field Level Media

Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in a press conference ahead of Super Bowl LIX at New Orleans Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Unheralded Chiefs defense lauds ‘spiritual muse’ Steve Spagnuolo

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NEW ORLEANS — The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense tends to get most of the headlines.

Quarterbacked by a generational talent in Patrick Mahomes with a head coach in Andy Reid so committed to innovation that by at least one account he literally still draws up plays in the dirt on the fly, it’s easy to understand why.

But if the Chiefs are to emerge with a record third straight Super Bowl championship against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Super Bowl LIX, they’ll need a total team performance.

Enter the Kansas City defense, which despite being less flashy and heralded than its offensive counterpart, still brings talent as well as a clear identity to the proceedings.

That’s a reflection partly on Reid and the culture he has built in Kansas City. But on Wednesday, Reid and several players pointed to longtime defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his aggressive vision as being integral to their team’s success.

“Spags was able to come in (in 2019) and has done a great job with the guys,” Reid said. “I think the thing I appreciate most is watching the trust that the players have in him. That means that you’re doing a whole lot of things right.

“They trust his scheme, he’s a good teacher, they trust him as a person, knowing that he’s going to try his best to put you in the best position for your skill that he possibly can to try to highlight that.”

Star defensive end Chris Jones spoke about how their relationship has evolved, with the 65-year-old Spagnuolo moving him around more to get to the quarterback, which he loves.

“That’s my guy. He’s a spiritual muse for this team,” said Jones, a six-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro. “I have so much love and respect for Coach Spags and also his wife. They play a huge part in the defense and the team’s success.”

Jones emphasized the family-like environment that Spagnuolo has created, wherein his wife, Maria, will regularly cook for the players.

“She’s bringing us the meatballs this week,” Jones said. “That’s pivotal to the success of the team.”

Still, beyond good vibes and meatballs, an effective coordinator also has to call the plays that allow his players to succeed. And in that realm, Spagnuolo has been pushing a lot of the right buttons of late.

His play-calling instincts came shining through in the biggest moment of the season late in the AFC Championship Game, when Spagnuolo dialed up Trent McDuffie’s number on a cornerback blitz that hurried Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen into an incompletion on fourth down.

“I love how aggressive coach Spags is. To play in a defense like that has been a lot of fun, because he’s going to utilize you in multiple ways,” McDuffie said. “It takes a little bit more discipline to really know your plays, studying to make sure you know certain situations, what we can call, knowing that he will call certain plays, and just knowing at the end of the day, he’s going to trust us to go out there and make plays.

“That gives you a lot of confidence and makes you excited to go out there and make plays for him.”

Jones, who is seeking his fourth Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs, echoed McDuffie’s appreciation for the scheme: “It keeps you on your toes as an offensive coordinator. You never know who’s dropping and who’s coming on defense.”

That creative freedom comes from not only having talented players but also having leaders in the defensive unit who can keep everyone on target.

“There’s a lot of good leadership in that locker room,” Reid said, noting that “they all bring their own personality to it.”

He listed Jones, linebacker Nick Bolton and free safety Justin Reid among the leaders who have helped to build a culture of accountability on defense and singled out Reid for his role in calling plays on the field.

“(Reid) has a good name,” Reid quipped to a round of laughs in the media room. “Justin is a smart kid and a heck of a football player. Very tough — he’ll come up and introduce himself to you aggressively. He has the aptitude to take all the stuff in that Spags throws at him and be able to make the calls back there and get people going in the right direction.”

Reid has confidence in his defensive group should the Chiefs find themselves in another close game.

“The guys, they obviously don’t give up,” Reid said. “They play four quarters.”

–David Gladow, Field Level Media

Feb 4, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid at a press conference in advance of Super Bowl LIX at New Orleans Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chiefs coach Andy Reid ‘grateful’ for Super success

Posted on | by Field Level Media

NEW ORLEANS — Andy Reid recognizes longevity as a running mate in his sustained success with the Kansas City Chiefs as he prepares the team for a third consecutive Super Bowl.

And he admits he can’t hide from it given the evidence on the opponent’s roster on Sunday. Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the son of one of Reid’s former players in Philadelphia, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.

“It just means I’m old,” Reid said with a chuckle Tuesday morning at the Marriott to open media availability for the Chiefs. “Jeremiah Trotter was one of my favorite players. Jeremiah Jr. is wearing the same number (54) and has done a good job taking his success from Clemson and transferring it to the Eagles.”

Reid and the Chiefs will practice Wednesday through Friday as the buildup to Sunday night and Super Bowl LIX. Reid is facing his former employer for the second time on the NFL’s brightest stage.

“I have a ton of respect for the people over there and how they run things, city of Philadelphia, but at the same time I’m very happy to be in Kansas City,” Reid said, adding he’s “grateful” for the opportunity he received from the Chiefs.

“It’s unique for sure, really unique to have it gone on twice here. I can tell you from my standpoint, I feel very lucky, honored, privileged. I feel very luck to be in this position.”

The Chiefs have distanced themselves from the gravity of discussions around a history-making, dynasty-defining three-peat. Reid continued his message focused on the task in front of the team this week, saying, “We’re not done. We’re going to have our hands full with a really good Eagles team.”

Reid and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes are a combined 17-3 in the playoffs. While Reid credited locker room leaders and continuity with the coaching staff for Kansas City avoiding complacency and climbing back to the NFL mountaintop three years in a row, players pointed to Reid.

“To me, it starts with Coach Reid, he sets the tone,” Mahomes said. “It’s awesome to be in the Super Bowl, but we have to put in the work every single day.”

–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, center, talks to quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) next to tight end Travis Kelce (87) before a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 26-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes driving Chiefs’ historic run

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There was a time Andy Reid was a sympathetic figure, a champion of the regular season seemingly destined to be an all-time bridesmaid on the NFL sideline.

Through 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid reached one Super Bowl (2004) and lost the NFC Championship Game four times. It’s why owner Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles decided another voice was necessary and fired the coach with the most wins in franchise history.

Reid, 66, was reborn in Kansas City, where he — eventually — became synonymous with the Super Bowl and became the all-time wins leader of a second franchise.

The Chiefs didn’t reach the AFC title game until Reid’s sixth season in Kansas City, and since the Chiefs turned that corner, they have not looked back. They’ve won the AFC West division nine consecutive years and Reid hasn’t lost a postseason game since the 2021 AFC Championship to the Bengals.

There was a chance meeting along the way — Reid and a gunslinger from Texas Tech, quarterback Patrick Mahomes — that didn’t hurt the evolution of the Chiefs from doormat to dynasty. The pair won their first Super Bowl after the 2019 season.

That’s not top of mind for Reid this week, according to Mahomes. He said Reid has tunnel vision. A hot topic during the open week before heading to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX and a chance at a third Super Bowl victory in a row? Perfecting their snap cadence.

“That’s the stuff he focuses on,” Mahomes said. “I think the only time I’ve heard (Andy Reid) say [three-peat] is to the media whenever you all ask him about it.”

Come Monday and the start of the big-game festivities in New Orleans — a backdrop for the Chiefs’ bid to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowls — the questions will start fast and furious. Reid will be seeking that historic win against his former team, the Eagles, on Feb. 9.

And Reid, now with 301 victories combined between the regular season and playoffs, and Mahomes — 17-3 in the playoffs and bidding for his fourth Super Bowl ring — are on the verge of adding to their shimmering legacies. A fourth Super Bowl ring for Mahomes would put him in a three-way tie for second-most all-time with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.

It would also be over halfway to Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl wins.

“I think you always want to leave a legacy and make your imprint on history, but more than anything, you just want to accomplish a goal that you have with your teammates,” Mahomes said. “When you start (training camp) in St. Joe, your goal is to win the Super Bowl. We know it’s a hard process, we know it’s a hard week in and week out, but I’m proud of how our guys have went about that process. We know it’s not going to be easy, this team we’re playing is a really good football team, but we’re going to go out there and put our best effort out there and play as a team. Hopefully, that’s enough to get a win.”

Before the season and while wading through questions and rumors about retirement, Reid signed a new pact that runs through 2029 and made him the league’s highest-paid coach. With win No. 18 of the season this week, Reid could be just 22 shy of George Halas (324) for third on the NFL’s all-time wins list.

And by Sunday night, Reid could have four Super Bowl wins as a head coach, tying Steelers coach Chuck Noll for second on the all-time list and two shy of Bill Belichick’s record six rings. Belichick won two more as an assistant coach and has 333 victories as a head coach, second to Don Shula (347).

“We all know that’s out there but what matters is how you take care of business,” Reid said of the historic ramifications of another Super Bowl win in an interview with Rich Eisen of the NFL Network this week. “What’s going to help you is that you focus in and take care or business today while we’re doing our practices or in the meetings we have today. Take care of that and everything else you let the chips fall where they may.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Carson Wentz (11) readies for the snap against the Detroit Lions during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs to rest QB Patrick Mahomes; Carson Wentz to start

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The Kansas City Chiefs will rest quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other starters in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the host Denver Broncos.

The Chiefs (15-1) have locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and head coach Andy Reid confirmed Wednesday that veteran Carson Wentz will be under center on Sunday.

Wentz, 32, has played a total of nine snaps in two games this season, his first with Kansas City. He completed both of his pass attempts for 20 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Drafted No. 2 overall by Philadelphia in 2016, Wentz is 47-45-1 as a starter with the Eagles (2016-20), Indianapolis Colts (2021), Washington Commanders (2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023) and Chiefs.

Wentz has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 22,312 yards with 153 touchdowns and 67 interceptions. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2017.

Mahomes, 29, has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 3,928 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season.

Although Sunday’s game has no bearing on the two-time defending champion Chiefs’ playoff seeding, the fates of the Broncos (9-7), Miami Dolphins (8-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) are at stake.

Including Kansas City’s first-round playoff bye, Mahomes and other Chiefs who sit out Sunday will have a whopping 23 or 24 days of rest before the Jan. 18-19 divisional round.

–Field Level Media

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) runs the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs keep healthy RB Isiah Pacheco on shelf till Black Friday

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Chiefs coach Andy Reid is holding something special back for the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday.

Reid said Friday he won’t put running back Isiah Pacheco on the field at Carolina on Sunday, when the Chiefs visit the Panthers for a Week 12 matchup, to give him more time to recover from a broken fibula. Because of the short week of preparation before Friday’s game with the Las Vegas Raiders, Reid opted not to activate Pacheco and defensive end Charles Omenihu to face the Panthers.

Reid said Thursday that the Chiefs, including input from trainers and offensive coaches, were already considering protecting Pacheco by taking the decision out of his hands this week.

“He’s a spark plug now, emotionally,” Reid said. “He’s something that way, and he’s worked his tail off to get to the point that he’s at now. We’ve got to keep an eye on him that way. He would have played three weeks ago if he had his choice, but that’s sometimes how it goes. I appreciate that mentality. That’s what’s helped him get to this point.”

Pacheco and Omenihu practiced the entire week.

With three more light practice days before the weeknight game, both players could return for the division clash on Friday.

Kareem Hunt, who is averaging 3.7 yards per carry as the primary ballcarrier during Pacheco’s absence, remains the starter.

Pacheco was placed on injured reserve Sept. 18 with a broken fibula sustained in a Week 2 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. Omenihu has been recovering from a torn ACL sustained in last year’s AFC Championship Game victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

Pacheco, 25, rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 54 yards in two games before the injury. He has accumulated 2,328 yards from scrimmage with 15 touchdowns in 33 games (26 starts) since Kansas City drafted him in the seventh round in 2022.

Omenihu, 27, had a career-high seven sacks in 11 games (one start) in his first season with the Chiefs in 2023. He has 18.5 sacks in 72 career games (11 starts) with the Houston Texans (2019-21), San Francisco 49ers (2021-22) and Kansas City. He was a fifth-round pick by Houston in 2019.

–Field Level Media