KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs will be entering uncharted territory without running back Isiah Pacheco, who suffered a leg injury late Sunday night that will likely send him to the injured list. He has been their leading rusher in each of the past two seasons and was on track for the first 1,000-yard season of his career in two games.

Pacheco was handed or thrown the ball 24 times in Sunday’s 26-25 win over the Cincinnati Bengals before suffering the injury.

Coach Andy Reid likes to think the Chiefs have another back who can handle such a heavy workload in his absence. But he acknowledged he’s torn between his two choices, undrafted rookie Carson Steele and recently acquired veteran Samaje Perine.

“I would tell you I have confidence in them,” Reid said. “I just haven’t experienced it with them yet.”

Reid said the Chiefs plan to play with their current backs, but added that general manager Brett Veach “is going through his rosters and looking at people and we’ll see where that leads, but we’re blessed to have some good people here.”

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick in 2020 and their leading rusher that season, is on the injured list and will not be eligible to activate until Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints.

The Chiefs also have two running backs, Keaontay Ingram and Emani Bailey, on their practice squad. Ingram rushed 62 times for 134 yards and caught eight passes in 20 games over the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Bailey, like Steele, is an undrafted rookie.

Despite his inexperience, Steele is the obvious choice to fill the bulk of Pacheco’s role. He has nine carries for 27 yards this season.

“He’s going to have to step it up in that role, but I think he enjoys being challenged and I think this will be a good challenge for him,” Reid said.

Steele fumbled late in the first half on Sunday, leading to a Bengals field goal. But he also served as an effective short-yardage runner for the Chiefs, something they’ve lacked in recent seasons.

The Chiefs gave Steele the ball four times Sunday when they needed one or two yards for a first down, and he got the yardage he needed each time, including twice on fourth down.

He came to the Chiefs as an unlikely prospect for the team, as they already had Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire, but he made an immediate impression.

“His assignments in OTAs were pretty sharp,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “He knew what he was doing (and) he knew where he was going. You never know how he’s going to do it until you put the pads on.

“He took it to training camp and put the pads on (and) made some nice plays. A splash play here and there certainly helps, but it’s got to be consistent over periods of plays and series of drives. I thought he did that.”

Perine, 29, is in his eighth NFL season and with his fifth team. The Chiefs signed him this year after he was released from the Denver Broncos.

“It just feels like a place where I can hopefully contribute,” Perine said.

Perine has had more than 25 touches in a game twice in his career. He had 27 touches in 2017 while with Washington and again in 2022 while with Cincinnati in a game against the Chiefs.

But he’s done most of his better work in recent seasons as a pass receiver. Last season with the Broncos, Perine had nearly as many pass receptions (50) as rushing attempts (53).

“Perine has always been a good defender, a third-down back and a first or second (down) back,” Reid said, “but someone you really feel comfortable with when you’re playing on third down with all the crazy blitzes that go on there.”

The Chiefs visit the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 on “Sunday Night Football” (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).