The Lions placed running back Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve before the season, setting up at least a four-game absence. It turns out Pacheco is going to miss significantly more time. He is facing a 12-week recovery after undergoing back surgery, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pacheco, who sat out a large portion of camp with an MCL sprain, injured his back while training. He will be on the shelf until at least December, which is the latest injury blow for him. The former Chief missed a total of 14 games with various health issues from 2022-24. The Lions nonetheless rolled the dice on Pacheco with a fully guaranteed $1.81MM deal in free agency, though they may end up getting little to nothing out of that investment.
In a best-case scenario for the Lions, Pacheco would have provided a capable backup to Jahmyr Gibbs and a replacement for the departed David Montgomery. They traded Montgomery to the Texans for center Juice Scruggs, now the Lions’ starter as Cade Mays recovers from a wrist fracture, as well as a fourth- and seventh-round pick.
Despite Pacheco’s injury troubles, the four-year veteran rode into Detroit with a strong 4.4 yards per carry average on 576 career attempts. The Lions don’t have anyone close to as proven as him behind Gibbs. Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors, who have combined for 11 NFL carries, are the only other running backs on their 53-man roster. Jabari Small, a 2024 undrafted free agent with no regular-season appearances on his resume, is the lone option on the practice squad.
With 29 attempts for 156 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-30 win over the Saints, Gibbs continued to thrive in Week 1. Vaki (two carries, 7 yards) and quarterback Jared Goff (2 yards on two rushes) were the only other Lions to log attempts on the ground. Gibbs is the team’s unquestioned bell cow, but if it wants more established depth at the position, it could dip into free agency. The Lions held a late-August visit with Kareem Hunt, Pacheco’s former teammate in Kansas City, though it is unclear if he is still on their radar.