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Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs plan to activate running back Isiah Pacheco off the injured reserve list and defensive end Charles Omenihu off the physically unable to perform list in time for them to play in Friday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Andy Reid said Wednesday.
Pacheco and Omenihu will play, Reid said, “as long as they’re OK. We’ll check on it again today, try to take it day by day. If they’re good after today, then we’ll play them.”
Pacheco, the Chiefs’ leading rusher the past two seasons, has been on IR since early in the season with a broken leg. Omenihu tore an ACL in last season’s AFC Championship Game and hasn’t played this year.
Kareem Hunt has filled in for Pacheco as the Chiefs’ featured back. He leads the Chiefs in rushing with 577 yards and is second on the team in touchdowns with five.
Pacheco rushed for 830 yards as a rookie in 2022 and 935 yards last season. He rushed for 135 yards in two games this season.
Omenihu had seven sacks in 11 games for the Chiefs in 2023, his first season with the team. He would give the Chiefs another pass rushing option to go along with Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, recently acquired Joshua Uche and others.
The Chiefs will play against the Raiders without rookie kicker Spencer Shrader, who made the winning field goal last week against the Carolina Panthers in his first game with Kansas City. Shrader has an injured hamstring.
He will be replaced by Matthew Wright, who was signed to the practice squad this week. Wright kicked briefly for the Chiefs in 2022.
The Chiefs’ regular kicker, Harrison Butker, is on injured reserve after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus.