Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave an honest admission about Isiah Pacheco’s return from injury.

The back-to-back Super Bowl champions have been incredibly light at running back at the start of the season having lost Pacheco to injury after just two games, through a fractured fibula against the Cincinnati Bengals, while Clyde Edwards-Helaire is yet to feature so far this campaign.

After missing several games, Pacheco is closing in on a return to action after being placed on the injured reserve. However, Reid was unsure of the exact return date expected for the 25-year-old despite now being in his seventh week of record. Original timelines predicted he could be back within six to eight weeks.

Speaking to reporters following Chiefs practice on Thursday, Reid provided an update on his progress but was unable to give an exact answer. “He’s getting there. But he’s doing fantastic. I mean, he’s really doing well, but we just, between the trainers and doctors and all of that, that’s out of my hands there. But he’s getting, he’s making great progress.”

The Chiefs would seemingly treat Pacheco’s return with patience given the crowded backfield currently at Reid’s disposal. Kareem Hunt, Samaje Perine, and Carson Steele have so far held things together and keep Kansas as the only team in the NFL with a perfect record, currently 7-0 before they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

Welcoming back a fully fit Pacheco later on in the season could be crucial to the Chiefs maintaining their perfect record and eyeing a threepeat in the Super Bowl. The third-year has led the Chiefs in rushing in each of the last two seasons.

Andy Reid

Andy Reid has given an update on Isiah Pacheco’s injury comeback ( 

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Getty Images)

In his first two years in the league, Pacheco topped 800 yards on the ground, setting a career-high 935 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in his second year. Pacheco had 34 carries for 135 yards and one touchdown before he was injured earlier this season.

Following the injury to Pacheco, Hunt was brought back to the Arrowhead Stadium for his second stint with the team having been released in 2018. But in just his fourth game with the team against the Las Vegas Raiders, he was made a captain.

After the game, Reid discussed the decision. He told reporters: “Yeah, you know, he was in that class with Patrick and it’s almost like he kind of never left.

“That’s how I think the guys that have been here see that, and then the guys that haven’t been here have always heard about Kareem and the guys talking about him. He has that veteran leadership ability [and] runs tough. He’s been welcomed back as if he hadn’t left. That’s why we felt comfortable doing that.”