Lions Place Isiah Pacheco on Injured Reserve, RB to Miss at Least Four Games.
- Dante
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Detroit Lions will begin the 2026 season without running back Isiah Pacheco, as the team has placed the veteran back on injured reserve. Pacheco is dealing with an MCL sprain along with a back injury sustained during training camp. His placement on injured reserve means he will miss at least the first four games of the regular season before he can potentially return to the lineup. The Lions signed Pacheco during the offseason with the expectation that he would provide another physical option in the backfield alongside standout running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit moved on from veteran David Montgomery during the offseason, trading him to the Houston Texans. Pacheco had been working his way back from the back issue, and head coach Dan Campbell previously expressed hope that the 27-year-old could be ready for the team's season opener. That outlook changed as Pacheco continued dealing with the combination of injuries. "He's another one, I can't give you anything definitive," Campbell said Thursday. "And he is feeling better as of yesterday."
Campbell acknowledged that Pacheco's recovery had been inconsistent as the team monitored his condition. Pacheco spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs, helping the franchise win two Super Bowl championships. His time in Kansas City was also impacted by a broken fibula in his right leg in 2024, an injury that affected some of the explosiveness that had made him an important part of the Chiefs' rushing attack. Now, Pacheco's Detroit debut will have to wait. With him sidelined, the Lions will rely on Gibbs and the rest of their running back room to handle the workload while Pacheco works toward returning to the field. Detroit will be eligible to bring Pacheco back after he misses the required four games, assuming he is healthy enough to return.
