Isiah Pacheco is more than just the Kansas City Chiefs top running back, he is also a popular social media meme. Pacheco had a unique way of running that has got the attention of NFL fans across the league, who have made jokes about how the second-year player takes off with the ball.
Isiah Pacheco runs like ______________ pic.twitter.com/UqXzuZet9B
— Dave Heilman (@DynastyDorks) January 22, 2024
The Chiefs and Pacheco have been preparing for the AFC Championship on Sunday, as they are set to face the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. In between watching film and getting ready for the big game, Pacheco has seen some of these memes of himself.
Pacheco sat down with CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones, who asked Pacheco if he has heard the jokes.
Yes, Isiah Pacheco has seen the memes about his running style 😂
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024
The @Chiefs RB sat down with @jjones9 to discuss his favorite ones, his dance moves, and the AFC Championship game. pic.twitter.com/uihzndZsBB
"Yes I have, they're hilarious," Pacheco said laughing. "Isiah Pacheco runs like he bites people is crazy. I'm not a zombie! That was crazy."
Another one of his favorites is "Pacheco runs like a little kid testing out new shoes at a store."
Some other comparisons are "Pacheco runs like the ground owes him money," and "Pacheco runs like he's trying to get something off his shoes."
Pacheco says he has always run like this and pushing hard on each carry has been a mindset of his. He said he treats every practice like it's a game, giving it his 100 percent so he is prepared when it is game day.
"I visualize the hole … then I just had to make it happen," Pacheco said, while watching a highlight from a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Even if his run gets some laughs from NFL fans, it is clearly working. During the regular season he lead the team in rushing yards (935), rushing touchdowns (7), yards per game (66.8) and carries (205) in 14 games played. He also leads the team in the postseason in rushing yards (186), yards per game (93.0) and carries (39), with one touchdown in each postseason game.
Pacheco is dealing with ankle and toe injuries, but is active and will play in the conference championship game. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be broadcast on CBS.