It’s official, the Kansas City Chiefs will get running back Isiah Pacheco and defensive lineman Charles Omenihu back for the Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chiefs’ X account announced their activation from the injured reserve on November 28, while also relaying that they are elevating veteran tight end Anthony Firkser and kicker Matthew Wright from the practice squad. The latter is expected to handle the kicking duties with rookie fill-in Spencer Shrader suffering a hamstring injury at practice.
FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz was the first to report that Pacheco and Omenihu would be activated on November 28, but both recoveries have been trending in that direction all week. On November 26, Omenihu hinted that his return was imminent, and another dead giveaway was KC general manager Brett Veach choosing to leave two open spots on the 53-man roster.
Those spots will now be filled by the pair of integral starters.
Chiefs Call Upon Anthony Firkser After Losing Another Tight End to Injury
The injury bug has hit the Chiefs’ tight end room in 2024, as four Kansas City TEs have now spent time on the injured reserve this season.
Draft pick Jared Wiley was lost for the remainder of his rookie campaign after tearing his ACL at practice on November 1. Similarly, staff favorite Jody Fortson tore his ACL and his meniscus after briefly reuniting with the organization.
The latest tight end to hit IR is Peyton Hendershot, who suffered a calf injury earlier this week. The only silver lining is that undrafted rookie Baylor Cupp — who hit the practice squad injury list in late September — was activated onto the practice squad on November 26.
With only Travis Kelce and Noah Gray remaining on the 53-man roster, Firkser will serve as the immediate reinforcement on Black Friday. The NFL journeyman is a blocking tight end that has bounced around the league since 2017.
Most recently, he suited up for four outings with the New York Jets in 2024, offering veteran experience on offense and special teams.
But before that, Firkser spent time with several organizations including the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots. His longest stint came with the Tennessee Titans from 2018 through 2021, and the long-time pro was also signed to the Chiefs practice squad once before in 2017.
Journeyman Kicker Matthew Wright Set to Make Chiefs Return in Week 13
Along with the tight end room, the Chiefs’ kickers haven’t had the best luck in 2024. With starter Harrison Butker (knee/meniscus) currently on the injured reserve, Shrader is now sidelined with the aforementioned hamstring issue.
That created a need at kicker once again, and Kansas City elected to fill that void by bringing back a familiar face.
Wright made two appearances as the Chiefs’ kicker in 2022, converting three-of-four field goal attempts — including a 59 yarder. He also went eight-for-eight on extra points.
Like Firkser, Wright is a journeyman in the truest sense of the word. The 28-year-old’s first regular season NFL appearance came in 2020, and he’s typically only served as an injury replacement throughout his career outside of one full season in Jacksonville.
Wright has appeared in one game this season, and it was a busy appearance with the San Francisco 49ers. In that outing, he drilled all three field goal tries that he attempted, while also making another three extra points.
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