Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco returned to practice this week with a title he didn’t have in previous years.

Pacheco, KC’s fourth-year running back, is now a college graduate; he took spring classes online at Rutgers to complete his undergraduate degree, which led to his attendance at his school’s graduation ceremony in New Jersey earlier this month.

“It means so much to me and my family to be the first-generation graduate,” Pacheco said Thursday at the team facility. “So a big part of my career there that I wanted to finish, and I had to go back, and I did it. I’m so blessed.”

Pacheco said that one person in particular inspired him during his original college days. He said he saw an older man — and non-traditional student — frequently attend one of his classes on campus.

“I’m like, ‘Yo, like that right there, that’s motivation,’” Pacheco said. “You’re never too old to go back and get your degree.”

Pacheco also hopes he can be seen as a positive example for others. Not many people graduate from college, he said, after attending Vineland High in New Jersey like he did.

There was an underlying message in how Pacheco completed his feat, too. He graduated from the same college he had started at — Rutgers — without transferring to any other institution.

“I actually stayed home and got it tattooed on me,” Pacheco said of his college. “And that’s what it’s about: finishing where you started.”

This isn’t the only change for Pacheco this offseason.

Following an injury-filled 2024 campaign, where he fractured his fibula in September, Pacheco has added muscle ahead of this week’s Organized Team Activities workouts.

The difference was especially noticeable to coach Andy Reid, who said Pacheco “looks real good” physically.

“He’s put on a couple pounds of good weight. He got himself down there a little bit last year and leaned up,” Reid said. “But man, I think he looks tremendous right now.”

Pacheco, in trying to rush back following his early season surgery last year, said losing some weight was a natural consequence. The focus wasn’t on keeping muscle; instead, it was on getting back to the team.

The running back made his return in Week 13 but wasn’t as effective as in previous seasons. In fact, in seven combined regular-season games, his 3.7 yards-per-carry average was nearly a full yard lower than 2023 (4.6).

“You’re out there working your tail off and just sweating every day and not eating enough to get the weight back,” Pacheco said of last season. “There’s not going to be as much time to gain weight during the season, rather than the offseason and the whole program that they have here for us.”

The ultimate goal for Pacheco? He made it clear when talking about his new physique on Thursday.

“Just going back to 216, 4.37, Isiah Pacheco-style,” he said.

The reference was unmistakable. During the 2022 NFL Combine, Pacheco — at 216 pounds — ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash.

Those measurements were part of what led to his selection in the seventh round by the Chiefs.

“Just going through injuries, I wanted to gain weight, be a little more heavier to surpass that,” Pacheco said. “To get better and build off of this past year.”

It’s an important crossroads for the 26-year-old Pacheco. This is a contract season — his rookie deal expires after 2025 — and his future in the NFL will depend on him showing the same burst he had in previous years.

Pacheco, for his part, reports his body feeling “great” at this stage of the offseason.

“I’d say my mental toughness is good, and my physical toughness is awesome,” Pacheco said. “I’m just happy.”