During the second day of the 2026 free agency tampering period, multiple sources are reporting that the Detroit Lions have signed running back Isiah Pacheco to a one-year contract. After fulfilling David Montgomery’s trade request, the Lions were on the hunt to add a power running back to complement Jahmyr Gibbs, and they turned to free agency for a replacement. While the terms of the one-year deal have not been released, the Pacheco signing appears to have filled that need.
Origin story
Pacheco flew a bit under the radar while at Rutgers, but he parlayed an opportunity at the Hula Bowl into an invitation to the East-West Shrine game, which helped him get drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft (pick No. 251) by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pacheco took over starting running back responsibilities halfway through his rookie season and helped contribute to a Chiefs Super Bowl win over the Eagles. Pacheco once again started for the Chiefs in 2023, ran for a career high 935 rushing yards, and won another Super Bowl Championship.
Entering year three, Pacheco once again opened the season as the Chiefs’ starter, but he suffered a broken leg in Week 2 and landed on injured reserve. While he was able to work his way back onto the field in 2024 and into the starting lineup, he was not able to regain his pre-injury form quickly and ended up splitting carries with Kareem Hunt, who was signed as his replacement.
Last season, Pacheco remained the Chiefs’ de facto starter, but he was in a full-on timeshare with Hunt. Pacheco led the team in rushing until a mid-season knee injury sidelined him for a month, and he would finish the season below Hunt in most rushing statistical categories.
What the experts are saying
There are some mixed opinions surrounding Pacheco and what he brings to the table. Injuries have certainly contributed to some of his recent struggles, most notably with questions surrounding his explosiveness and production post-broken leg. That being said, Pacheco has been very solid in two situations: short-yardage conversions and pass protection, areas in which the Lions will likely feature him.
Pacheco was one of the running backs that our own Jeremy Reisman highlighted as a potential Montgomery replacement:
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)
Expected role in 2026
After deploying Gibbs and Montgomery in a near-50-50 split during 2023-24, last season we saw the Lions lean more heavily on Gibbs, giving him almost two-thirds (64%) of the running back touches. The expectation moving forward is that this is likely the floor for Gibbs’ touches in 2026, meaning Pacheco should expect to see fewer than Montgomery’s 182 touches from 2025. (Note: Pacheco was on pace for 172 last season before injury).
Pacheco’s injury concerns and production since his broken leg are notable and shouldn’t be overlooked. But his play style is the perfect complement to weaponize against a tired defense that has been chasing Gibbs around all afternoon. Pacheco is a bruising runner who violently runs to contact, looking to punish defenders who attempt to tackle him. Additionally, many of the concerns surrounding Pacheco get tempered down a bit, considering he is likely headed for a specialized role: RB2 snaps to give Gibbs rest, short-yardage, and late-game touches when leading.
Free agency impact
With six (or five, depending on the status of Kye Robichaux) running backs on the roster, you can comfortably cross running back off the Lions’ free agency needs list.
NFL Draft impact
While the Lions have a decent stable of backs on the current roster, only Gibbs (presuming his fifth-year option is picked up or he is given a contract extension) and Sione Vaki remain under contract beyond this season. That’s typically a recipe to add rookie running backs, either via the NFL Draft or on the UDFA market.
While this running backs class is not as deep as we’ve seen in the past few seasons, the Lions currently hold seven picks on Day 3, and could certainly find value in adding a running back to the roster to compete in training camp. We identified several backs to keep an eye on during our coverage of the NFL Combine this offseason.
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