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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is approaching this offseason with a different mindset. While some players focus on slimming down to stay quick and lean, Pacheco is doing the opposite: adding weight to better withstand the physical toll of NFL seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust going through injuries, I wanted to gain weight and be a little heavier,\u201d Pacheco told reporters on Thursday. \u201cTo surpass and get better \u2014 and build off of this past year on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last season, the fourth-year back fractured his fibula in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, missing nine games on the team\u2019s Reserve\/Injured list. While he eventually returned, he admitted he never quite felt like himself \u2014 something he attributes to losing his ideal playing weight during his rehab.<\/p>\n
Pacheco, who is currently listed at 216 pounds on the Chiefs\u2019 official website, didn\u2019t want to reveal a specific target weight. But his added bulk hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed by head coach Andy Reid.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhysically, he looks real good,\u201d Reid said. \u201cHe\u2019s put on a couple pounds of good weight. He\u2019d gotten himself down there a little bit last year and leaned up, but I think he looks tremendous right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
This offseason marks the first in Pacheco\u2019s young career that he isn\u2019t preparing to defend a Super Bowl title. That alone has served as fuel to work on his body \u2014 especially after returning home to his roots.<\/p>\n
\u201cI use it as a big motivation for me,\u201d Pacheco explained. \u201cI\u2019m from Jersey, so I went back home and worked out at the gym where I started at the YMCA. I started reminiscing. You\u2019ve got people from New Jersey wearing Eagles hats all the time. They\u2019ll question me like, \u2018Wow, you\u2019re in here. We got you all this year.\u2019 So that right there only motivates you to go harder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now entering the season healthy, stronger, and mentally locked in, Pacheco is aiming to reestablish himself as a vital piece of Kansas City\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel great,\u201d Pacheco said. \u201cI\u2019ll say my mental toughness is good and my physical toughness is awesome. I\u2019m just happy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After injuries last year, the Kansas City running back wants to add more weight ahead of his pivotal fourth NFL season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":66064,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n