Kansas City Chiefs FB Michael Burton has always known there was something special about rookie RB Isiah Pacheco. It wasn’t just their bond as former Rutgers alumni, but the passion with which Pacheco ran the football which impressed Burton. Pacheco seems to play every snap like it’s his last time touching the football.
Burton has played a role in Pacheco’s development as a rookie, helping him get acclimated during his earliest days with the team. In a recent interview with Rutgers Wire’s Kristian Dyer, Burton was asked his thoughts about Pacheco with the 2022 NFL season now in the rearview.
Burton detailed why he believes Pacheco’s had such success in Kansas City and why no moment, including Super Bowl LVII, is too big for the rookie running back.
“(He’s) always dancing, always,” Burton told Dyer of Pacheco. “I just don’t (think any moment is) too big for him. I mean he puts in the work. He’s obviously an incredible talent. Those two things, you put them together. You see the product that he puts on the field as a young rookie running back, breaking tackles, running through guys, around guys. Protection when catching the ball. And he’s doing it all right now at a very high level. I think it’s because of the work ethic he has plus his talent, you mesh those two things and you get such a great product, and that’s what he’s doing right now.”
Pacheco managed 85 yards from scrimmage against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. He had 101 yards from scrimmage against the Jacksonville Jaguars the week prior. It stands to reason that the Chiefs will need another big performance from Pacheco against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII if the team is to come away with a win.
He certainly has the talent to make it happen, all it takes now is him putting the work in ahead of the game. If Burton’s assessment of Pacheco is any indication, that’s not something Chiefs Kingdom will have to worry much about.
