“Are they short on cash?” – Isiah Pacheco receiving a 45k fine from NFL leaves social media stunned 

Fans often criticize the Chiefs for special treatment, but this time they rallied behind Isiah Pacheco after the NFL fined him nearly an entire week's salary.

“Are they short on cash?” – Isiah Pacheco receiving a 45k fine from NFL leaves social media stunned 

Isiah Pacheco fined (Image via IMAGO/X)

Isiah Pacheco may need to lay off the Kansas City BBQ for a few days because he has to pay a hefty fine for a helmet-to-helmet challenge that the league deemed as dangerous play. The amount ticked off folks on social media.

In the early second quarter of Week 14 game, the Kansas City Chiefs led divisional rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, by six points. They were backed inside their red zone when quarterback Patrick Mahomes dumped the ball onto Pacheco, who scampered across the ground.

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Pacheco didn’t cover much. Right before crossing the five-yard line, he collided headfirst with Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton. The on-field referees did not find any issue with the tackle, but the NFL on Saturday fined the 25-year-old $45,020 for unnecessary roughness. 

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Social media meltdown after NFL fines Isiah Pacheco

The nature of Pacheco’s tackle did not seem malicious. It was a regular helmet-to-helmet collision, and both players had their heads down during the impact.

Are they short on cash Isiah Pacheco receiving a 45k fine from NFL leaves social media stunned 
Isiah Pacheco (Image via IMAGO)

The announcement did not sit well with the folks on social media. According to a section, fining a player 45k who earns $57,941 before tax for a routine tackle seemed excessive, considering the referees did not see anything wrong with the tackle.

Pacheco had 14 carries against the Chargers defense for 55 yards, but no score. He further caught two passes from four targets. The game ended in a narrow 17-19 win for the Chiefs. Replacement kicker Matthew Wright doinked a 31-yard field goal in garbage time to secure the Chiefs’ 12th win of the season.

It was only the seventh-round pick’s fourth game since returning from injury. He suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2 and was placed on injured reserve on September 18, 2024.

Pacheco is playing his third campaign with the Kansas City franchise. He won consecutive Super Bowls in his first two years with the team by completing 305 rushes for more than 1750 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Chiefs re-signed former rusher Kareem Hunt and ex-Broncos rusher Samaje Perine as cover while Pacheco was on the PUP list. Hunt appeared in 10 games this year. He leads the Chiefs with 167 carries for 608 yards.

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The Chiefs will need all three of them in top form when they travel to play the Cleveland Browns in Columbus. There’s bound to be snow for the fixture to make life difficult, so head coach Andy Reid’s best bet is rotating between his running backs.

Coach Reid on Saturday revealed that the Chiefs released kicker Wright. They will elevate All-Pro field goal specialist Harrison Butker from the injured reserve for the Browns game.

Related: Keyshawn Johnson has a five-word response to De’Vondre Campbell abandoning 49ers teammates mid-game