Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has made his decision: running back Isiah Pacheco will not play against the Buffalo Bills in the upcoming crucial Week 11 match-up.
Andy Reid confirmed Pacheco and Omenihu would not play against Bills but JuJu Smith-Schuster is likely to be a go
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) November 15, 2024
Reid announced that running back Pacheco (ankle) and defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee) have both been ruled out for the upcoming game, despite having their practice windows opened earlier in the week.
Reid praised both players for their effort, saying, “Both those guys, I thought, did a nice job with this week. They were working on scout team and moved around well. So they’ll be listed as out.”
Pacheco has been sidelined since suffering a fractured fibula in Week 2. He underwent successful surgery and was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 18, and was expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Regardless, Reid appears to be proceeding cautiously with both him and Omenihu.
Omenihu, who tore his ACL in the AFC Championship Game, missed the Super Bowl and was forced to watch as the Chiefs triumphed. Despite his pivotal role in the team’s 2023 success, he had to focus on recovery.
While it typically takes around a year to fully recover from an ACL tear, Omenihu’s rehab has progressed well enough for him to rejoin the Chiefs midseason.
The Chiefs are aiming to achieve their first-ever third consecutive Super Bowl victory. Currently, they remain the AFC favorites, holding a perfect 9-0 record as the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
Even when their streak was nearly broken by the Denver Broncos in Week 10, the Chiefs’ special teams stepped up in a big way, blocking the game-winning field goal to preserve their flawless record.
