The Kansas City Chiefs are getting prepared to face the Denver Broncos in Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season, but they’ll be doing so without at least one of their star players.

A number of players are expected to rest in Week 18, as the Chiefs have already clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed. While several players are unlikely to play, they’ll go through the practice week as normal unless they have an injury.

In the case of RB Isiah Pacheco, who left late in the team’s Week 17 game on Christmas Day with a rib injury, Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirmed that Pacheco will sit out of the practice week ahead of the trip to Denver. The good news, however, is that he is expected to be available to play come playoff time.

“Yeah, he’ll be available playoff-wise,” Reid told reporters on Monday. “Yeah, he is tender. I probably should have mentioned that, but he is tender. And I’ll probably hold him back here this week in practice just a bit so he can be fresh ready to go.”

Pacheco has already dealt with a broken leg and spent time on injured reserve earlier this season, so to learn that the rib injury won’t keep him off the field for the playoffs is a positive.

Historically, Pacheco has been a big part of the Chiefs’ success in the playoffs over the past two seasons. He’s started in seven career playoff games, including two Super Bowls, recording 118 carries for 510 yards and four rushing touchdowns, along with 18 receptions on 19 targets for 125 yards. His physical running style is also a huge energy source for the offense, so getting him as close as humanly possible to health will be massive for Kansas City.