The Detroit Lions have found their David Montgomery replacement.
According to NFL Network, the Lions are signing former Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. Per Aaron Wilson, it’s a one-year deal, but the dollar amount has not been announced as of this publishing.
A seventh-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, Pacheco quickly outplayed his draft status with the former Super Bowl winners. In his first two years in Kansas City, he started 24 games and earned 830 rushing yards in his rookie season and followed it up with 935 rushing yards in 2023—all while averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry and 4.6 YPC, respectively.
He hasn’t been as effective in the past two seasons, serving a more complementary role in the Chiefs’ backfield alongside Kareem Hunt. He also dealt with a fracture fibula in 2024 that limited him to just seven games that season.
Pacheco was one of the running backs I highlighted as a potential Montgomery replacement in my free agency preview at running back:
Pacheco, 27, has seen his production dive since his fantastic rookie season in 2022, but he remains a tough back to bring down. In 2023, he produced 15 broken tackles, just two fewer than Montgomery that season, on a very similar workload (Pacheco: 205 carries, Montgomery: 219)
Pacheco will now serve in a similar complementary role behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit likely prefers that role to be a strong, physical back, and that’s exactly what Pacheco brings to the table. At 5-foot-10, 216 pounds, he’s short, but stocky—and seems to invite physical contact with his opponents.
You can find all of the latest Detroit Lions free agency news and rumors here.
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