Isiah Pacheco Bio
Isiah Pacheco, nicknamed “Pop,” is an American professional football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before being selected by the Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. In his first two seasons with the team, he helped Kansas City win Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LVIII, establishing himself as a reliable offensive contributor.
Born and raised in southern New Jersey, Pacheco rose from a multi-sport high school athlete into a championship-winning professional running back within a few years. His combination of physical toughness, pass-catching ability, and special-teams value has made him a key piece of the Chiefs offense.
Early Life and Background
Isiah Pacheco was born on March 2, 1999, in Vineland, New Jersey, to Felicia Cannon and Julio Pacheco. He is the youngest of five siblings, with Puerto Rican heritage on his father’s side and African-American heritage on his mother’s side. Growing up in a large, close-knit family in Cumberland County shaped his early identity and fueled his competitive drive.
Pacheco began playing organized football through Pop Warner Football for the Vineland Blitz. He later attended Vineland High School, where he lined up at both quarterback and running back. During his senior year, he led the Fighting Clan to a Thanksgiving Day Classic victory over rival Millville Senior High School with a standout performance that set the stage for his college recruitment.
Path to American Football
Coming out of Vineland, Pacheco attracted recruiting interest from several East Coast programs, including Syracuse, Maryland, Rutgers, and Virginia Tech. On June 21, 2017, he committed to Rutgers University, choosing to remain relatively close to home and continue his development within a Power Five college football program.
At Rutgers, Pacheco saw consistent playing time across all four of his collegiate seasons. He finished his college career with 563 rushing attempts for 2,442 yards at a 4.3 yards-per-carry average, along with 18 rushing touchdowns, while also catching 47 passes for 249 yards and one receiving score. One of his early collegiate highlights came on August 20, 2019, when he rushed for 156 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries in a win over Massachusetts.
Before the 2022 NFL draft, Pacheco was selected to participate in the 2022 Hula Bowl by the Draft Diamonds scouting staff, an all-star game known for showcasing small-school and under-the-radar prospects. He later competed in the East-West Shrine Bowl, one of the premier college all-star games, which helped raise his profile among NFL teams.
Isiah Pacheco Career
Early Career (2022)
Isiah Pacheco entered the NFL as the 251st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. As a late-round selection, he was expected to compete for a depth role in the backfield and contribute on special teams rather than start immediately.
He quickly proved his value. Pacheco made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, scoring his first career rushing touchdown on a 3-yard run. He earned his first career start in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers and posted a career-high 107 rushing yards on 15 carries in a Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing his rookie regular season with 830 rushing yards, 130 receiving yards, five rushing touchdowns, and 29 kickoff returns for 597 yards.
Kansas City Chiefs Breakthrough (2022-2023)
Pacheco’s first season peaked on the league’s biggest stage. He started at running back for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, rushing for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He revealed after the season that he had played through a torn labrum and a broken hand during that game, injuries he later had surgically repaired.
In 2023, Pacheco took on a larger role. He posted 158 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in a Week 4 win over the New York Jets, two rushing touchdowns in a Week 12 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, and 130 rushing yards with a receiving touchdown in a Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He appeared in 14 games and started 13, finishing the regular season with 205 carries for 935 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, plus 44 receptions for 244 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He scored a rushing touchdown in each of the Chiefs’ first three playoff games of the postseason.
His second NFL year closed with Kansas City defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII, a win in which Pacheco rushed for 59 yards and added six catches for 33 yards. The victory made the Chiefs the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004, and made Pacheco the only running back in NFL history to win two Super Bowls in his first two seasons.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2024-Present)
Pacheco returned as Kansas City’s starting running back in 2024. He suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2 and was placed on injured reserve on September 18, 2024, before being activated on November 28, 2024. He returned for the Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders and finished the season with 83 carries for 310 yards and one touchdown across seven games played. He also appeared in Super Bowl LIX, recording 12 scrimmage yards in a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pacheco has built his reputation on physical, between-the-tackles running paired with reliable hands out of the backfield. His strength as a pass catcher and his willingness to contribute on kickoff returns have made him a three-down contributor, while his toughness playing through injury has earned the trust of the Chiefs coaching staff.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include scoring a touchdown in his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals, starting in Super Bowl LVII as a rookie, and helping Kansas City repeat as champions in Super Bowl LVIII. His postseason scoring streak across the first three playoff games of the 2023 run, combined with his place as the only running back in league history to win two Super Bowls in his first two seasons, defines the early legacy of his career.
Isiah Pacheco Career Wins
Across his first three professional seasons, Isiah Pacheco has compiled two Super Bowl championships and a series of signature regular-season and playoff performances for the Kansas City Chiefs. His wins have come as both a complementary rookie in 2022 and a featured offensive starter in 2023.
NFL Highlights
Pacheco’s NFL win totals are anchored by Super Bowl LVII following the 2022 season and Super Bowl LVIII following the 2023 season, both earned as the Chiefs’ starting running back. He has added multiple multi-touchdown regular-season performances, including the two-touchdown outing against the Raiders in 2023 and the touchdown against the Jets in the same season.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the NFL level, Pacheco starred at Vineland High School, leading the Fighting Clan to a Thanksgiving Day Classic victory over Millville Senior High School in his senior year. At Rutgers, he posted one of his most explosive college performances with 156 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a win over Massachusetts on August 20, 2019.
Isiah Pacheco Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Isiah Pacheco was raised in Vineland, New Jersey, by his mother, Felicia Cannon, and his father, Julio Pacheco. He is the youngest of five siblings and carries Puerto Rican heritage from his father’s side and African-American heritage from his mother’s side. Several of his tattoos honor his family and New Jersey roots, including imagery representing Vineland High School and Rutgers University.
Personal Life
Pacheco has spoken publicly about the loss of his brother, Travoise Cannon, who was killed in January 2016, and his sister, Celeste Cannon, who was murdered in September 2017. He carries memorial tattoos of his brother and sister as part of a larger mural on his right arm that also reflects his New Jersey and Rutgers background.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Isiah Pacheco is expected to return as the Kansas City Chiefs’ lead running back after recovering from the fractured fibula that limited him to seven games in 2024. His activation late in 2024 and his continued involvement in the Chiefs’ playoff run, including Super Bowl LIX, suggest he remained a trusted part of the offensive game plan even through injury.
Pacheco’s 2025 outlook centers on recapturing the form that produced 935 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 2023, while pairing once again with the Chiefs’ established passing attack. Staying healthy will be a central storyline, as Kansas City will look to lean on his physical running style and pass-catching ability to balance the offense.
Beyond individual stats, Pacheco’s continued presence in the backfield gives the Chiefs a returning championship-tested veteran as they aim to remain among the AFC’s top contenders. His track record of delivering in high-leverage moments, including multiple Super Bowl appearances in his first three seasons, sets a high baseline for what 2025 could add to his early career resume.