It was a relatively non-eventful first day of free agency for the Detroit Lions. While they came away with a starting center in Cade Mays and a depth option at offensive tackle in Larry Borom, Detroit wasn’t very active.
Turning calendar to Tuesday, the Detroit Lions made another move to fill a hole on the roster. Last week, the Lions agreed to trade David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, leaving the team with a true vacancy at the RB2 spot. On the second day of free agency, Detroit added former Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco on a one-year deal worth up to $1.81 million. But for a former, two-time Super Bowl champion, why did the Chiefs choose to let Pacheco walk in free agency for such a paltry price? Does he have the chance to return to form after an injury he suffered in 2024?
To get the inside scoop, we spoke with Ron Kopp Jr.—Contributing Editor for Arrowhead Pride—who both watched and spoke to Pacheco during his four seasons in Kansas City. Here’s some insight into the Lions’ newest running back.
1. When Isiah Pacheco became the lead back for the Chiefs in the second half of the 2022 season, he was a key piece to their victory in Super Bowl LVII. What about him as a player from his rookie season is still a dependable part of his game heading into 2026?
Pacheco came into the NFL with a high-motor, high-energy style on all fronts. After he was drafted, he immediately told reporters in his presser that he’ll be “willing to take a grown man’s job” and ended up leading the backfield in carries by 100 as a rookie. He is reliable as a lead back in the sense that he will treat every carry like it’s a do-or-die moment. With the Chiefs’ offense built through the passing game, it was important to have Pacheco’s full-speed burst (4.37 40-time) each of the limited times he was given the ball to maximize those opportunities.
2. Pacheco suffered a brutal fibula fracture in the early parts of the 2024 season, and his return from that injury led him to his least efficient season as a runner in his four-year career.
What part of his game was most impacted by the injury, did he look improved from that standpoint in 2025, and do you see him capable of returning to his pre-injury form with another offseason of training?
The injury zapped Pacheco’s elusiveness and change of direction, which are already skills he doesn’t excel in. He is a stop-and-start, linear runner who makes it work because of how explosive and momentous he is when it opens up for him. He was shiftier before the injury, but in the Chiefs’ zone-run scheme, it appeared the knee injury really hampered his quickness navigating the box.
3. What will Pacheco bring to the Lions backfield when it comes to pass protection and receiving?
Pacheco has improved at pass protection over his four seasons, taking the foundation of having a dog-like mentality to take on blitzing linebackers with enjoyment and building on it with calmer hands and feet. Early in his career, he was more hit and miss, but he has become reliable to help keep a pocket clean. As far as receiving, his hard-nosed run style makes him a notable checkdown option; he has the speed to turn a missed tackle from a DB into a huge play.
4. What stood out most about Pacheco’s intangibles—whether it was his leadership, work ethic, competitiveness, or another quality—that made him valuable to the Chiefs?
While it became clear that the Chiefs need more from the lead back than Pacheco was willing to provide, his constant energy and high emotions became a big part of the offense, something I believe the unit missed when he was sidelined. I’ve always compared him to the Tasmanian Devil, which may point to his run style, but it also points to the constant, almost overwhelming passion and energy he brings to each snap. It was an underrated factor in his impact with KC.
5. Are there any particular moments from games or specific matchups from Pacheco’s time in Kansas City that Lions fans should check out to get a sense of what he will bring to Detroit’s backfield? What did those performances reveal about him as a player?
This tweet is from the 2024 preseason before the broken leg in Week 2, showing the linear explosiveness in a power-run scheme.
In 2025, he showed off a lot of what I consider his strengths during the Jaguars game where 27 of his 36 yards came after contact. Before his injury this year against Washington in Week 8, he was starting to play with the speed/power combo we were used to.
4×1 set, Pacheco looks to have a standard flat route, so Logan Wilson overpursues outside to make sure he doesn’t get beat to the edge. Pacheco then cuts back on an angle route for a wide-open score.
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