The Detroit Lions have placed running back Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve, the team announced on Tuesday, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the regular season. Under NFL rules, any player placed on injured reserve must miss a minimum of four games before becoming eligible to return.
Pacheco, who signed with Detroit as a free agent this offseason, was dealing with an MCL sprain in addition to a back injury sustained during training camp. The Lions have not provided additional details on his recovery timetable beyond the injured reserve designation.
Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Monday that the MCL injury is not a concern, though he could not give a definitive answer on Pacheco's Week 1 availability. Speaking on August 27, Campbell said Pacheco was feeling better as of that day. "He's another one, I can't give you anything definitive. And he is feeling better as of yesterday," Campbell said. "I mean, it's been a little touch and go right now. He's had a little bit of a back and we're hoping he's coming out of this as of yesterday a little bit." He added, "We feel pretty good about him being ready to go, especially when the season gets here."
Background and roster impact
Pacheco arrived in Detroit after four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls, but suffered a broken fibula in his right leg in 2024 that, according to one report, robbed him of some of his explosiveness. The 27-year-old is described as a tenacious runner.
The Lions brought him in to pair with Jahmyr Gibbs after trading veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans earlier this month. Pacheco was expected to serve as the backup to Gibbs, and with him sidelined, the team will turn to Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors, and Jabari Small in that role.
Campbell indicated that Pacheco has missed the last few days of practice due to the injury, but he declined to express significant concern about the running back's availability for the start of the season.
The team also worked out Pacheco's former teammate Kareem Hunt earlier this week, according to one report, though no signing had been announced at the time of the injured reserve move.
Pacheco's recent struggles
Pacheco signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract with Detroit this offseason. His production had declined in recent seasons: after averaging over 4.5 yards per carry in his first two years in the league, he has averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry over the last two seasons. In 2025, he recorded 462 rushing yards and one touchdown over 13 games, along with 19 receptions, and had just six games with double-digit touches. He also did not manage a run of 20 or more yards during the season. According to one report, he lost valuable work, including goal-line touches, to Kareem Hunt during that time.
The Chiefs, who were reportedly expected to have a new starting running back for the next season, had been rumored to have no interest in re-signing Pacheco. New Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, per a report from ESPN's Nate Taylor, will be tasked with putting together the correct run-blocking scheme for the team. Both Pacheco and Hunt are impending free agents, with only gadget back Brashard Smith under contract for Kansas City.
The Lions hold picks in the first and second rounds of this year's draft, but will not pick again until the fourth round at No. 118 overall.