The Detroit Lions brought in Isiah Pacheco to help fill the void behind Jahmyr Gibbs, but that plan is already running into trouble before Week 1.
Pacheco, a two-time Super Bowl champion, signed with Detroit on a one-year, $1.81 million deal after the Lions moved on from David Montgomery. The deal looked like a bargain for a team searching for a veteran backup, but Pacheco’s availability for the opener is now in question.
“Lions running back Isiah Pacheco has picked up another injury. Pacheco sprained his MCL earlier this month and head coach Dan Campbell said at the time that the team thought Pacheco would be able to return for Week 1. On Thursday, Campbell said that Pacheco is now dealing with a back injury and that his status for the opener is unclear,” Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper wrote.
That opener comes against the New Orleans Saints.
Detroit’s backfield picture changed quickly when the team traded David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. As DJ Bien-Aime reported, “The Texans are acquiring running back David Montgomery in a trade with the Detroit Lions for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and two draft picks, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. The Lions will receive a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick, the sources said,”
The move made sense because Jahmyr Gibbs is clearly the top running back in Detroit, but it also left the Lions needing another reliable option behind him. That’s why the Pacheco signing drew attention right away.
“Detroit has found David Montgomery’s replacement. The Lions are signing running back Isiah Pacheco to a one-year, $1.81 million deal, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday, per a source informed of the deal.
Terms of the contract have not yet been reported. Detroit was in the market for a veteran backup to Jahmyr Gibbs after agreeing to trade Montgomery to the Houston Texans,” NFL.com’s Kevin Patra wrote.
For now, the Lions are waiting to see whether Pacheco can get healthy in time. Detroit has leaned on a two-back approach, so if he can’t go, the next man up will get the chance. And because this is a prove-it deal, Pacheco should have every opportunity to carve out a role if he’s cleared to play.
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