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To become a professional athlete at the highest level, it often takes a level of self-confidence that most normal people would consider excessive.
But Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco went well beyond that recently when he claimed that he was one of the five best running backs in NFL history.
The claim came when Pacheco joined the “All Things Covered” podcast for an interview with host Bryant McFadden.
Pacheco and McFadden discussed a number of topics, including Patrick Mahomes’ superstition of always parking in the same spot at the Chiefs’ facility.
But it was the discussion about the top-five running backs of all-time (8:45 mark of the video above) that really turned listeners’ heads.
“Growing up, I ain’t watch football that much,” Pacheco began. “But I know that I watched highlights, and Barry Sanders was on my highlights. AP (Adrian Peterson) was on my highlights. Ladanian Tomlinson. And then I’m gonna get a little bit into this era, Saquon Barkley.”
The Barkley inclusion alone would’ve been enough to turn some heads, but then things really got wild.
“Myself. I’ma put myself in that category. I’ve been looking forward to those guys and just watching their play, just learning from the best. And just allow myself to be put in a position to be the best.”
That’s quite the claim.
Pacheco, who Kansas City drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, had a strong rookie season. He carried the ball 170 times for 830 yards and five touchdowns while helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.
But that’s a far from “greatest running backs of all-time” level.
Again, it’s hard to knock Pacheco’s confidence. And maybe he goes out over the next decade and makes a lot of people look silly. But he has a long way to go before even entering that discussion.