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If you type “Isiah Pacheco rushing yards per game” into Google, you probably want one number fast. So here it is. Over his NFL career, Pacheco averages 49.7 rushing yards per game. But that single number hides a much more interesting story, one full of huge rookie flashes, a Super Bowl run, and two rough injury plagued years that changed his role entirely.

If you follow fantasy football, bet on player props, or you just love digging into running back stats, you need more than a career average. You need the full picture. Let us walk through it together.

Quick Answer: Isiah Pacheco’s Career Rushing Yards Per Game

Here is the short version you can skim in ten seconds.

• Career average: 49.7 rushing yards per game
• 2025 season (with Kansas City): 35.5 yards per game (462 yards in 13 games)
• 2024 season: 44.3 yards per game (310 yards in 7 games)
• 2023 season: 66.8 yards per game (935 yards in 14 games)
• 2022 season (rookie year): 59.3 yards per game (830 yards in 14 games)

Now let us break down what actually happened in each of these seasons and why his numbers swing so much from year to year.

Isiah Pacheco’s Rookie Season Set the Bar High

Pacheco entered the league in 2022 as a seventh round pick out of Rutgers, and almost nobody expected him to become a starting caliber running back. He proved everyone wrong fast.

In his first year, he rushed for 830 yards on 170 carries across 14 games. That works out to 59.3 rushing yards per game, one of the better rookie marks in that draft class. He also averaged close to 4.9 yards per carry, showing off the physical, downhill running style that quickly made him a fan favorite in Kansas City. His rookie season alone was good enough to rank among the top rookie rushers in the entire league that year.

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2023: His Best Season by Far

If you want to know what peak Pacheco looks like, this is the season to study. In 2023, he carried the ball 205 times for 935 yards and a career high seven rushing touchdowns across 14 games. That gives him 66.8 rushing yards per game, easily his best mark to date.

This was also the year he helped Kansas City win back to back Super Bowls. He became a true workhorse back, handling nearly half of the team’s rushing attempts and showing he could carry a heavier workload without losing his explosiveness. If you are comparing Pacheco’s ceiling to his floor, 2023 represents the ceiling.

2024: The Injury Year That Changed Everything

Pacheco’s momentum stalled hard in 2024. A fractured fibula limited him to just seven games all season. In that short stretch, he managed 310 yards on 83 carries, which still averages out to 44.3 yards per game, a respectable rate considering he was working his way back from a serious injury.

The bigger issue was availability, not production. Missing 10 games during a contract year hurt his value and opened the door for other backs to take snaps in Kansas City’s backfield.

2025: A Disappointing Return to Full Health

Many expected a bounce back season once Pacheco returned to full health in 2025. Instead, his efficiency dropped noticeably. He played all 13 games he suited up for but managed only 462 yards on 118 carries, translating to 35.5 rushing yards per game and a career low 3.9 yards per attempt.

Advanced stats backed up the eye test too. His PFF rushing grade ranked near the bottom among qualified running backs that season. He simply did not look like the same explosive back who tore through defenses back in 2023. Between his shrinking role and reduced burst, it became clear his time in Kansas City was likely coming to an end.

Why Did Pacheco’s Numbers Drop So Much?

A few factors explain the decline you see in his 2024 and 2025 stats.

• Injuries piled up. Between the fractured fibula and other nagging issues, Pacheco simply could not stay on the field consistently.
• Explosiveness faded. His yards after contact and forced missed tackle numbers both dipped compared to his rookie and sophomore seasons.
• Role changed. Kansas City started distributing carries more evenly, which cut into his workload even when healthy.

None of this erases what he accomplished early in his career. It just shows how quickly a running back’s per game numbers can shift once injuries and role changes enter the picture.

What Happens Next: Isiah Pacheco With the Detroit Lions

In a move that surprised plenty of fans, Pacheco signed with the Detroit Lions on a modest one year deal for the 2026 season. He steps into a backfield led by Jahmyr Gibbs, meaning he will likely serve as a change of pace back and short yardage option rather than a bell cow rusher.

For context, David Montgomery played a similar complementary role behind Gibbs in 2025 and still managed over 700 rushing yards. If Pacheco earns similar usage, he could quietly rebuild his per game average even without being the lead back. He will not touch the ball as often as he did during his 2023 peak, but a clearer, more defined role might actually help him produce more efficiently on a per carry basis.

How Pacheco’s Rushing Average Compares to Other Backs

When you look across the league, 49.7 rushing yards per game for a career places Pacheco in a middle tier range, well below elite workhorse backs who regularly top 80 or 90 yards per game, but ahead of backs who mostly play situational roles. His rookie and second year numbers actually rank closer to the league’s top tier rushers, which is exactly why his recent decline stands out so much.

If Pacheco can stay healthy in Detroit, his physical running style still gives him upside in short yardage and goal line situations, even if his overall per game average never returns to that 2023 level.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many rushing yards does Isiah Pacheco average per game in his career? Pacheco averages 49.7 rushing yards per game across his NFL career through the 2025 season.

What was Isiah Pacheco’s best season for rushing yards per game? His 2023 season was his best, when he averaged 66.8 rushing yards per game on his way to a second straight Super Bowl title with Kansas City.

Why did Isiah Pacheco’s rushing yards per game drop in 2025? A combination of lingering effects from his 2024 fibula injury, reduced explosiveness, and a smaller role in the Kansas City offense all contributed to his lowest per game average since entering the league.

Which team does Isiah Pacheco play for now? Pacheco signed with the Detroit Lions in 2026 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Final Thoughts

Isiah Pacheco’s rushing yards per game tell the story of a running back who burst onto the scene, reached his peak during a Super Bowl run, then had to fight through injuries that reshaped his career path. His 49.7 career average sits in the middle of the pack, but the season by season numbers reveal so much more nuance than that single figure suggests.

As he starts a new chapter in Detroit, his per game numbers will likely settle into a smaller, more efficient role behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Whether he can rediscover the form that made him a Super Bowl champion remains one of the more interesting storylines to track heading into the 2026 season

encyclopediausa.co.uk

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