Chiefs coach Andy Reid plans to give running back Isiah Pacheco most of the week off to rest his sore ribs.

Reid has not yet decided who else will rest before their final game of the regular season against Denver.

The Chiefs (15-1) have already secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, earning them the only first-round bye, which makes the game against the Broncos unimportant for them.

While Reid will likely rest Pacheco and other players dealing with injuries before the postseason, there’s also the risk of starters getting rusty with such a long break. Kansas City will not resume its pursuit of a third straight Super Bowl title until at least January 18.

“We’ll be OK from it,” Reid said about the long break, “because of the rest we gain here.”

It’s almost certain that Patrick Mahomes will sit out most of Week 18, if not the entire game, especially after playing through a high ankle sprain in a win over Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.

This could lead to Carson Wentz starting his first game of the season in a matchup that is important for the Broncos. If they win, they will join the Chiefs and Chargers as playoff teams from the AFC West.

Reid shared his thoughts on the competitiveness of the AFC West: “I think it’s great. I mean, the level of this division is, I think, incredible. We’ve got really all four teams playing hard and aggressive football, and good, solid football.

I know the Raiders are not in; I get that. But I know the other two are as deserving as anybody to be in the playoffs. It’s good to see that. I think that this is all about competition. We’re in it for the competition. And both Denver and the Chargers, they are both really good football teams.”

In other injury news, Reid said former Pro Bowl left tackle D.J. Humphries is improving in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Humphries, who had torn his ACL before joining the Chiefs, signed with the team after they struggled to protect Mahomes’ blind side.

The Chiefs have managed with All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney moving to tackle and Mike Caliendo stepping in at guard, but they’d prefer to have Thuney back in his original position for the playoffs.

“I want to get (Humphries) out to practice and see where he’s at,” Reid said. “He is doing good in his rehab part. That’s different than being on the field. I’d like to see how he does there.”

Reid also mentioned that wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who is on injured reserve with a knee injury, could return for the playoffs, and there’s a small chance cornerback Jaylen Watson will be able to return from his ankle injury.

Broncos coach Sean Payton is not concerned about who may sit out for the Chiefs on Sunday.

“You have to approach it like you’re seeing starters at these positions,” Payton said. “NFL rosters are — it’s not like you have a college roster. I’ve been in this position before on the other side of it. I think you’re looking at the scheme relative to the game plan, and then planning on seeing the player that you’re watching on film. If someone else is in that spot, so be it.”

Although the game has no importance for the Chiefs, Reid made it clear that his team will not be looking past the Broncos.

“There will be a time when we look at the other group. We’ll have time to do that,” Reid said. “But right now we’re preparing for Denver, so we’ll hit all that other stuff later here, on another day.”