Kansas City Chiefs move on from Pacheco
The Kansas City Chiefs moved on from running back Isiah Pacheco during 2026 free agency after four seasons together. Detroit signed him in March, and he is recovering from an MCL sprain.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said on August 10 that the team expects Pacheco to be ready for Week 1. He had already missed three straight practices while dealing with the knee injury.
Isiah Pacheco signs with Detroit
Pacheco signed a one-year, $1.81 million contract with Detroit after leaving Kansas City. The Lions added him as a veteran option behind Jahmyr Gibbs after trading David Montgomery to Houston.
Detroit officially announced Pacheco’s signing on March 12. He arrived with two Super Bowl championships, 2,537 career rushing yards, and 14 rushing touchdowns from his first four NFL seasons in Kansas City.
Isiah Pacheco’s production declines
Pacheco rushed for 462 yards and one touchdown on 118 carries during the 2025 season. His 3.9 yards per carry remained below the efficiency levels from his first two NFL seasons.
He averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a rookie in 2022 and 4.6 in 2023. His rushing average then dropped below 4.0 yards per carry in both 2024 and 2025.
Isiah Pacheco misses more games
Pacheco’s availability changed during his final years with Kansas City. He played seven games in 2024 after a fractured fibula and appeared in 13 games during the 2025 regular season.
An MCL sprain also interrupted Pacheco’s 2025 season. Across the 2024 and 2025 regular seasons, he missed 14 games, reducing the continuity Kansas City once received from its lead running back.
Isiah Pacheco leaves playoff legacy
Pacheco still left Kansas City with major postseason contributions. As a rookie, he rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII victory over Philadelphia.
One year later, Pacheco rushed 18 times for 59 yards as Kansas City defeated San Francisco in Super Bowl LVIII. He finished his Chiefs career with two championship rings in four seasons.
Kenneth Walker III replaces Pacheco
Kansas City replaced Pacheco with Kenneth Walker III, who signed with the Chiefs in March 2026. Walker’s three-year contract is worth up to $45 million with $28.7 million fully guaranteed.
Walker entered Kansas City after winning Super Bowl LX MVP with Seattle. During the 2025 regular season, he rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Kenneth Walker brings playoff production
Walker led the 2025 postseason with 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns across three games. His playoff production gave Kansas City a proven feature back as Patrick Mahomes continued rehabilitation from an ACL injury.
Kansas City’s rushing offense had clear room for improvement after 2025. The Chiefs ranked 25th with 106.6 rushing yards per game and 20th with 4.21 yards per carry that season.
Chiefs needed more rushing production
Chiefs needed more rushing production
The Chiefs failed to reach 100 rushing yards in each of their final four games of the 2025 season. Kansas City missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, Andy Reid’s second season as head coach.
Walker forced 61 missed tackles in 2025, ranking fifth among NFL running backs, and produced 664 yards after contact. Those numbers added a more explosive profile to Kansas City’s backfield.
Kenneth Walker adds explosive runs
Walker also recorded 33 runs of at least 10 yards, including 10 carries that gained at least 20 yards. Kansas City produced only three runs of 20 yards or more as a team.
Emari Demercado gives Kansas City another experienced option. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry across 126 attempts during three seasons with Arizona before signing with the Chiefs as a free agent.
Emari Demercado adds speed
Demercado produced 20 runs of at least 10 yards during those three seasons. His speed adds another source of bigger gains to a backfield that struggled to create explosive rushing plays in 2025.
Rookie Emmett Johnson adds another skill set after Kansas City selected him No. 161 in the 2026 NFL Draft. He led the Big Ten with 1,451 rushing yards during his final Nebraska season.
Fun fact: Pacheco once admitted that some of his touchdown dances come from TikTok moves he learned by watching his nieces.
Emmett Johnson adds receiving value
Johnson also caught 46 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. Second-year back Brashard Smith remains on the roster after contributing as a runner, receiver, and returner during 2025.
Kansas City entered training camp with a substantially changed running back room. Walker, Demercado, Johnson, Smith, Jaydn Ott, and E.J. Smith formed the six-player group listed before training camp began.
Chiefs reshape the running back room
Only Brashard Smith remained from the four running backs Kansas City carried before Week 1 in 2025. The turnover shows how thoroughly the Chiefs reshaped the position after missing the playoffs.
Pacheco’s Detroit injury adds context to Kansas City’s decision, but it does not determine how either season will unfold. Campbell expects him back for Week 1, while Walker currently leads the Chiefs’ backfield.
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Pacheco decision remains incomplete
Walker rushed for 1,027 yards in 2025, while Pacheco finished with 462. That recent production gap gives Kansas City a more productive lead runner heading into the 2026 regular season.
Kansas City has not played a 2026 regular-season game yet, so the final judgment is still pending. Pacheco’s recovery and Walker’s performance will offer the clearest comparison once meaningful games begin.
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Did the Chiefs make the right call by replacing Isiah Pacheco with Kenneth Walker III, or could Pacheco still prove valuable in Detroit? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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