Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has every reason to feel he is soon due a payday. Despite missing a large chunk of the 2024 season due to injury, the emergence of the rusher is a big piece of the Chiefs’ recent run of dominance. It has helped Patrick Mahomes elevate a questionable receiver group and balanced out the team’s attack. There is reason to wonder if it wasn’t for the injury, if Pacheco would have received a new deal during the 2025 offseason.

However, due to the injury, the back finds himself in a position needing to prove once again his potential impact. Kareem Hunt worked his way into a large volume of carries down the stretch of the 2024 season. Hunt’s return to prominence was a little bit of a surprise and allowed the team to ease Pacheco back into the rotation. The back now has had an offseason to get fully healthy and isn’t hesitating to get back to work.

Pacheco has every reason to feel he is owed for what he has meant to this organization. Opting to hold out despite the 2024 injury was a clear option. It is the path that Bills running back James Cook has chosen amid contract talks. This is the type of power the back could decide to wield based on what he has meant to the franchise.

The path Pacheco is choosing is to come in and put his head down and go to work. It is the exact type of attitude that proves why the back is such a popular figure in Kansas City. In an offseason when Pacheco has every reason to protect himself, the back is focused on rebuilding value and continuing to find ways to help his team win.

Choosing not to hold out is the right path when you consider where Pacheco’s current value is. The back needs a healthy season that reminds the Chiefs of just how impactful the rusher can be. It is a typical approach for a dynasty that isn’t afraid to put in the work and do what it takes to continue to defend its conference.

For Pacheco, a payday is still coming down the tracks if the back can stay on the current course. The Chiefs take care of their star players, and Pacheco isn’t going to be an exception if the 2025 season goes as expected.