The Kansas City Chiefs will already be shorthanded in the backfield when they visit the Denver Broncos in Week 11. Running back Isiah Pacheco has been officially ruled out with a knee injury, his second straight absence since going down in the Week 8 win over Washington, and the Chiefs will again lean on Kareem Hunt, with Brashard Smith and Elijah Mitchell candidates to pick up extra snaps.
And we have news, as posted by Chiefs himself on X, formerly Twitter: Jaylon Moore has been added to the injury report with an illness. He is questionable to play. That late designation tightens Kansas City’s margin even more, especially on the edges of the offense and in the kicking game.
Moore has been a depth receiver and special teams contributor, the kind of player who quietly patches holes when injuries stack up. If he cannot go, the Chiefs may have to elevate another wideout or shift more responsibility to the back end of the depth chart, which can affect substitutions on offense and coverage units on punts and kicks. In a game where field position and hidden yards could matter, losing a rotational wideout is not nothing.
Pacheco’s continued absence looms largest. The 26-year-old had seized the starting role through eight games, with 329 rushing yards and two total touchdowns, even if his per-game average is the lowest of his career.
The team hoped the bye would get him back, but he did not practice during the lead-up to Denver. While there is no move to injured reserve yet, back-to-back injury-plagued seasons raise concern about how much he can be counted on down the stretch.
There is at least one bright spot for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who has already missed time this season with a shoulder issue and was briefly limited by an ankle injury, has been cleared to play against Denver with no game-day designation.
When available, Worthy has given the offense juice, posting 24 catches for 256 yards and a touchdown in seven games and offering a needed vertical and yards-after-catch threat behind Rashee Rice.
So Kansas City heads into a key divisional matchup juggling mixed health news: their lead back is out, a depth receiver is a late question mark with illness, but their explosive first-round wideout is ready.
How well the reshuffled skill group responds could go a long way in determining whether the Chiefs keep pressure on Denver in the AFC West race.
