The Kansas City Chiefs, reigning NFL champions, have announced that their star running back, Isiah Pacheco, will miss a significant portion of the 2024 season due to a fractured fibula he sustained during Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Recovery time for a fibula fracture can take up to eight weeks, according to specialists, meaning the Chiefs will be without their Puerto Rican standout for at least two months. Pacheco, a key player in Kansas City's ground attack and a Super Bowl LVII and LVIII champion, had already racked up 135 yards and a touchdown in the team's Week 1 victory over the Ravens and Week 2 triumph against the Bengals.

The injury occurred late in the game against Cincinnati when Pacheco’s right foot got caught in the turf while a defender tackled him, causing his body to bend awkwardly. He did not return to the field afterward. Pacheco left the stadium on crutches, wearing a protective boot, and was later diagnosed with the fibula fracture after further tests at the hospital.

Kansas City currently has two wins in the season but is starting to struggle with a growing list of injuries. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, another running back for the team, has been sidelined due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) issues, which he admitted in August had been affecting him since 2018, leading to multiple hospital stays.

With Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire out, coach Andy Reid’s remaining options for the running game are 21-year-old rookie Carson Steele and veteran Samaje Perine. Despite Perine’s seven years of experience with the Commanders, Dolphins, Bengals, and Broncos, he has yet to make a significant impact.

Adding to the Chiefs’ injury woes, wide receiver Hollywood Brown also remains out after undergoing shoulder surgery following a dislocation in preseason, which is expected to sideline him for 4-6 weeks.