Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco was set to have another productive season in 2024, but just two games in, he suffered a leg injury that would see him sit out a large chunk of the season.

Pacheco would miss nine games and come back in the Week 12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and he had seven carries for 44 yards. But he wasn’t his usual self as Kareem Hunt maintained his role as the No. 1 back for the season and into the playoffs.

In his last five games, including the playoffs, Pacheco had no more than 26 rush yards or nine carries in a game as Hunt was the hot hand, and Pacheco wasn’t physically right.

But head coach Andy Reid is bullish on what Pacheco can be in 2025.

“I think he’ll be even better this year,” Reid said. “He was forcing that thing coming back [when he did]. Most guys probably wouldn’t have come back. If you know him for a minute, you know he wasn’t going to be held back. I think we’ll get a better player this year.”

So Pacheco came back a little earlier than he should have, and looking back, he should have waited, but hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

But now entering the final year of his rookie deal, Pacheco faces a make-or-break season with Hunt and Mitchell both returning.

There is even a thought that the Chiefs could draft a back as well, which would put even more pressure on Pacheco, but he is a two-time Super Bowl winner and has skins on the wall as a starting back with two solid seasons before last year.

Reid seems confident that Isiah can bounce back in 2025. Now we wait to see if that confidence is misplaced or not.