The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 12 in unfamiliar territory, sitting at 5-5 and facing a do-or-die situation as they take on the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, hoping to avoid missing the postseason for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. With everything at stake, Thursday’s injury report took on added significance as running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) and wide receiver Xavier Worthy (ankle) logged limited practices (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter).
Having missed the last two games, Pacheco remains the team’s biggest question mark. The 26-year-old initially appeared ready to return after practicing in full on Wednesday, but he was downgraded to limited on Thursday. He continues to wear a bulky brace on his right knee as he recovers from the MCL sprain suffered in Week 8 during the Chiefs' 28-7 win over the Washington Commanders. The team labeled him week-to-week, a designation typically tied to a multi-week recovery window, as MCL sprains often require 4–6 weeks of healing time.
In eight games this season, Pacheco has recorded 78 carries for 329 yards (4.2 YPC) with one rushing touchdown, plus 372 total yards and two total scores. Modest production and inconsistent reads in open lanes have Pacheco ranked 31st among running backs in PFSN’s impact metric (72.7).
Kansas City backfield has leaned entirely on Kareem Hunt during Pacheco’s absence, with Hunt logging an 80% snap share in Week 11 and scoring in three straight games while totaling 353 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns this season. Even so, the Chiefs unsuccessfully explored adding help at the trade deadline, making clear their concern about their depth.
However, Worthy’s situation appears more optimistic. After tweaking his ankle during the Week 11 22-19 loss to the Denver Broncos, where he played 76% of snaps and caught three passes for 25 yards, the second-year wideout sat out Wednesday before returning in a limited capacity Thursday. The injury has lingered for weeks, but he has not missed a game since his early-season shoulder injury that kept him out in Weeks 2 and 3.
For the season, the 22-year-old has 27 receptions for 281 yards and one touchdown. His fantasy output has plummeted since wide receiver Rashee Rice rejoined the lineup. He has had back-to-back three-catch games totaling 48 yards, and has yet to exceed 11.1 fantasy points in any contest with Rice active.
Coming off back-to-back defeats, Kansas City is closely monitoring Pacheco and Worthy’s availability. Their Friday practice statuses will determine whether the Chiefs enter Sunday’s must-win matchup at something resembling full strength, or with fantasy managers and fans left sweating.
