1:20pm: Pacheco will indeed play on Thursday, head coach Andy Reid confirmed (via Fowler’s colleague Nate Taylor). That could provide a boost to Kansas City’s running game against a Cowboys defense which has allowed just 90 yards on the ground across its past two games.
9:53am: The Chiefs are expected to be without Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith for Thursday’s game against the Cowboys, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Smith is dealing with both high and low ankle sprains and could miss multiple weeks. Thursday would be Smith’s second absence of the season – low back spasms sidelined him in Week 8 – after starting all but one game in the first three years of his career. Though Jaylon Moore is listed as the Chiefs’ backup right guard on their depth chart, Mike Caliendo will be tapped to start at right guard as he did in Week 8.
Meanwhile, running back Isiah Pacheco is hoping to return to the field in Week 13 after a three-game absence due to a knee injury, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Pacheco was off to a rough start in 2025, with only 163 rushing yards on 39 carries across his first five games. He then rushed for 166 yards and his first touchdown of the year in his next three games before getting hurt.
Kareem Hunt has saw a significant uptick in offensive involvement during Pacheco’s stint on the sidelines with 54 carries in his last three games, including a career-high 30 attempts in Week 12. Pacheco will eat into that workload, especially since he was trending upwards before his injury. The Chiefs will be hoping that he can quickly return to, if not surpass that level of play.