Pacheco rushed for 135 yards over the first two games of the 2024 season before going down with a fractured fibula. Since returning from that, the former seventh-round pick has been pretty rough.
Over the nine games Pacheco has played since the injury, he’s averaging just 33.6 rushing yards per game and has zero rushing touchdowns. He did manage a receiving score in there, but overall it’s been rough, and that’s without even mentioning the nightmare that was Pacheco’s playoff run last season, as he averaged just 12.3 rushing yards per game.
The Chiefs probably need to address this situation. We’re now over a year removed from the leg injury and Pacheco hasn’t bounced back. This is not a great situation, but the Chiefs might be able to make the best of it with one simple move.
(I don’t mean “one simple move” in a clickbaity way. Literally, I mean there’s one thing that the team can easily do to increase their offensive upside, and that thing is…)
It’s time to get Brashard Smith more snaps in the Chiefs offense
The Chiefs used a seventh-round pick this year on one of the most interesting players in the entire draft class: Brashard Smith.
Smith was a wide receiver at Miami, but made a position switch to running back after transferring to SMU. That switch proved fruitful, as Smith finished with 1,332 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in his lone season at the position.
His unique profile makes him a potentially game-breaking NFL player. He’s not a physical runner like Pacheco, but he could give Patrick Mahomes an elite check-down option, someone who has the speed and hands to add a new dimension to this offense.
Giving Smith passing-down snaps and using Kareem Hunt on early downs feels like an easy fix for the Kansas City run game.
Sure, it’s possible that Smith isn’t ready for the rigors of extensive playing time, but in that case, you can just…go back to what you’re doing now? It’s not like giving Pacheco fewer snaps for a few games has any downside. He’s not playing like someone who needs those snaps at the moment.
Kansas City’s offense certainly doesn’t look as dangerous as it has in past seasons. While some of that is due to the lack of wide receiver talent on the roster, getting a non-productive running back off the field won’t hurt, and the wide receiver issue appears to be moving in a positive direction with the return of Xavier Worthy.
