The Kansas City Chiefs have added running back Keaontay Ingram to their active roster following Isiah Pacheco’s injury. Pacheco sustained a fractured fibula during Sunday’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and could be sidelined for two months. While the Chiefs recently signed Kareem Hunt to the practice squad, Ingram has now been elevated to the active roster.
Ingram, 24, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals after playing at the University of Southern California. In his time with the Cardinals, he recorded 62 carries for 134 yards and one touchdown, along with eight receptions for 47 yards. He joined the Chiefs’ practice squad in November 2023 but was waived at the end of August before being re-signed. This will be his first chance to play on the active roster.
For the Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Ingram is expected to serve as the third-string running back behind rookie Carson Steele and veteran Samaje Perine. Steele, 21, who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, has impressed in training camp, earning a spot on the active roster with nine carries for 27 yards in the first two games. During his time at UCLA in 2023, Steele had 167 carries for 847 yards and six touchdowns.
Perine, now in his eighth NFL season, has a wealth of experience with 454 rushes for 1,830 yards and eight touchdowns, along with 153 receptions for 1,204 yards and six touchdowns. He is expected to be a key player in the passing game, with two receptions for 13 yards so far this year, and his stats are likely to rise in the coming weeks.
Ingram will need to make a quick impact, especially with Hunt now available on the practice squad. Hunt, 29, previously played for the Chiefs in 2017 and 2018 and has a career total of 1,030 rushes for 4,436 yards, along with 226 receptions for 1,890 yards and 57 total touchdowns.
