Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco ruled out again after 'a cleanup' surgery on his ailing shoulder

Updated Dec. 15, 2023 3:32 p.m. ET

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has been ruled out of the game in New England after having “a cleanup” surgery on his ailing shoulder, coach Andy Reid said Friday, adding that he expects one of the NFL's leading rushers to be back next week.

The Chiefs play the Patriots on Sunday in a game that was flexed out of its original Monday night timeslot.

Pacheco was coming off one of his best games of the season in Green Bay, when he ran 18 times for 110 yards and a score, when the shoulder issue surfaced on the Chiefs' injury report. He did not practice last week and missed the 20-17 loss to Buffalo, and while he participated in walk-throughs this week Pacheco was not ready for any sort of contact.

“Pacheco had a surgery on his shoulder and had some things taken out that were floaters in there, but he’s doing well. He’s moving around good,” Reid said. “We probably anticipate getting him back next week.”

The Chiefs will lean again this week on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who had just 39 yards rushing on 11 carries against the Bills, and third-down back Jerick McKinnon, who was more effective both running the ball and catching it out of the backfield.

Left tackle Donovan Smith also will miss his second straight game with a neck stinger, leaving impressive rookie Wanya Morris to take his place. But the Chiefs got some positive news when linebacker Drue Tranquill returned to practice from a concussion, and when Mike Edwards returned to the field following an illness that had sidelined him earlier in the week.

Wide receiver Justyn Ross, who completed a six-game suspension Monday, returned to practice, but the Chiefs chose to continue using a temporary roster exemption for him. That keeps him from counting toward the club's 53-man roster limit.

Ross was granted diversion for his October arrest on misdemeanor charges of criminal damage and domestic battery.

“If we're going to do something, we'll do it next week,” Reid said, when asked about adding him onto the roster. “It was good for him to get out there and work. He did all of the scout team reps, so that was a good thing for him.” ___

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