The next several days are going to say a lot about how the Kansas City Chiefs view the backfield. Recent injuries and roster concerns could collide into an eventful stretch in the calendar—or not at all.
The primary catalyst for any change would likely be a recent MCL sprain for lead back Isiah Pacheco. The fourth-year running back sat out of practice on Wednesday and is likely to miss Week 9’s road trip to face the Buffalo Bills. In fact, he’s been termed as “week to week,” which could keep him out for the foreseeable future.
Instead of panicking, however, it’s important to note that the Chiefs haven’t seemed all that concerned about the talent ceiling at the position for some time. General manager Brett Veach has leaned on castoffs and cost-controlled performers to handle teh bulk of responsibilities, so even in the face of injury, the Chiefs might collectively shrug.
If that’s the case, then Chiefs fans should expect Elijah Mitchell to become the proverbial next man up to some degree.
Elijah Mitchell seems like a safe bet to be next man up for a conservative approach at RB for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs landed Mitchell early in free agency last spring with a one-year deal. Given Veach’s timing on Mitchell’s deal—it was literally at the start of free agency and the second overall move made by K.C. after signing left tackle Jaylon Moore—it felt like Mitchell might be leaned on to play a rather important role going forward.
As the preseason wore on, however, it was clear that Mitchell was falling out of favor. Pacheco had returned from an injury-plagued campaign in 2024 and looked healthy and ready for a contract season. Kareem Hunt was also retained and he was healthier than when reuniting with the Chiefs last year after the regular season had already started.
Complicating matters, at least for Mitchell, was the presence of seventh-round rookie Brashard Smith. Typically, such a late pick wouldn’t factor too much into a team’s plans, but the Chiefs traded up to get him in a deep RB class at a position with a displayed need for more dynamism.
Mitchell has been suspended in a sort of liminal space with the Chiefs. He’s been on the active roster all season long, so it’s clear the Chiefs believe in his talents. However, he’s remained a healthy scratch each and every week while Smith has gained more playing time. Yet others like Clyde Edwards-Helaire have been relegated to the practice squad, so Mitchell at least has a leg up on any competition there.
With Pacheco on the mend, it makes sense for Mitchell to step into the void. That’s not to say that Mitchell and Pacheco are similar runners, per se, but his presence on the active roster adds clarity to any plan of succession—for now. And even head coach Andy Reid signed off on Mitchell’s talents. “I would tell you that we all have confidence in his playing ability for sure,” said Reid.
Of course, if the Chiefs feel worse about the position than they’ve let on in recent months (or even years), Veach might submit a transaction that renders all of this moot. Perhaps a deal before the league’s trade deadline of November 4 will yield an upgrade at the position, even more so than Pacheco. But the safest bet seems to be that the Chiefs will take their first regular-season look at Mitchell and see how things go from there.
