Running back Isiah Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain in the fourth quarter of Week 8’s “Monday Night Football” matchup, as the Kansas City Chiefs collected a 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders. As first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Pacheco’s status is described as week-to-week.
Analyzing the injury
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is one of four main stabilizing ligaments surrounding the knee joint. It lies on the medial aspect of the knee, attaching to the femur and tibia bones. The ligament helps
stabilize the knee on the inside, preventing it from bending or collapsing inward under valgus (lateral-to-medial) forces.
The MCL is commonly injured during twisting motions, but more often from severe valgus forces — precisely what occurred with Pacheco.
While his right foot was planted, a Washington defender struck the outside of Pacheco’s knee, causing a sudden and forceful valgus mechanism. Pacheco was immediately evaluated by medical staff on the sideline. ESPN cameras captured the athletic trainers assessing him for ligament damage. The injury appeared minor when an elated Pacheco hopped off the treatment table and rejoined teammates on the sideline.
As noted in previous injury analyses, all ligament sprains involve some degree of tissue tearing. Sprains are classified as Grade 1 (mild, with minor tearing of fibers), Grade 2 (partial tear), or Grade 3 (complete tear).
Although the injury was not deemed a full tear, the strain could still sideline Pacheco briefly, depending on severity — especially with a short week as the Chiefs prepare to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.
The bottom line
While the severity of the strain has not yet been reported, Pacheco’s upbeat demeanor after the sideline evaluation — along with head coach Andy Reid not mentioning the injury after the game — are both positive signs. Pacheco was not given an immediate injury designation, though swelling and irritation could have increased in the 24 hours following the game.
More will be known about Pacheco’s status once the Chiefs begin practice preparations on Wednesday.
This season, Kansas City has mostly used a committee approach with its running backs. Kareem Hunt has only 16 fewer carries than Pacheco, handling most of the short-yardage duties. Even if Pacheco is available for Sunday’s game, we should expect Hunt — and rookie Brashard Smith — to have expanded roles. If Pacheco is inactive, we could see running back Elijah Mitchell be on the game day roster for the first time this season.
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