Isiah Pacheco has cleanup surgery on shoulder injury | KCSN Daily 12.15
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After ruling Kansas City Chiefs starting RB Isiah Pacheco out for the Week 15 game against the New England Patriots, Andy Reid revealed some concerning news about the budding star.
“(Isiah) Pacheco had a surgery on his shoulder and had some things taken out that were floaters in there, but he’s doing well, he’s moving around good,” Reid said on Friday. “We probably anticipate getting him back next week.”
Pacheco needs just 221 rushing yards to reach 1,000 yards on the season. He'd be the first 1,000-yard rusher in Kansas City since Kareem Hunt did it as a rookie in 2017. If Pacheco does return for Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders, he’ll need to average 74 rushing yards per game to reach that mark. Right now, he’s sitting at 65 yards per game average on the year.
For the interim, the Chiefs will rely on the duo of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon to carry the load in Week 15 against the Patriots. The two players combined
“We love (Isiah) Pacheco, and we love his energy but at the same time, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) and (Jerick) McKinnon I thought did a tremendous job in there,” Reid said on Monday. “So I don’t want to slight any of them because they’re playing well, and they all bring energy in their own way.”
This latest surgery is the second in the 2023 calendar year for Pacheco. While he may soon return to the starting lineup, it brings his longevity into question and raises concerns about the position in the future.
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Steve Spagnuolo talks McDuffie, Sneed duo:
The Chiefs arguably have the best cornerback duo in the NFL in L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, DC Steve Spagnuolo explained what makes the situation so rare.
“Pretty unique, that’s a credit to both of those guys,” Spagnuolo said. “We haven’t had to play LJ (L'Jarius Sneed) inside as much – and you guys all know he can do that. As a matter of fact, he just walked through a couple of snaps with him in there just in case you get an injury situation.
“Trent (McDuffie) gives us a lot of flexibility, and you saw it last week, Chamarri Conner is coming on. We knew it was going to be a little bit of a slow process, but anytime we’re able to put him in there and keep those two guys outside is great for us. We don’t always do it because we like to get the other guys out there too. Having versatility, in any group but especially in the secondary is big.”
With Conner earning more and more snaps in the slot, it’s allowing the defensive secondary some more flexibility in terms of matchups with McDuffie and Sneed. That could come into play against the Patriots in Week 15 with JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, and Demario “Pop” Douglas.
Chiefs vs. Patriots Game Preview: Key Matchups and Storylines to Know
Kent Swanson, Craig Stout, and Matt Lane preview the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 15 matchup vs. the New England Patriots.
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Important Dates Ahead:
Dec. 17: NFL Week 15 - Chiefs at Patriots
Dec. 25: NFL Week 16 - Chiefs vs. Raiders
Dec. 31: NFL Week 17 - Bengals at Chiefs
