Out of all the offseason changes that took place in Detroit this spring, Lions fans were perhaps most disappointed with David Montgomery's departure. The talented rusher's desire to leave was certainly understandable, and you can't blame the Lions for accepting the Texans' trade offer, considering how strong the return was.
The Lions moved quickly in finding a replacement. A day after trading Montgomery, Detroit signed Isiah Pacheco to a one-year deal.
Pacheco was highly productive earlier in his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. So, taking a chance on the 27-year-old running back despite his two straight down seasons makes some sense.
What makes less sense, however, is the fact that the Lions are trusting him to replace D-Mo and be the team's RB2.
Lions should have gone a different direction at RB than Isiah Pacheco
The running game has been such an important part of the Lions' success over the last couple of years. Montgomery's role in that is undeniable. Bringing in Pacheco as his replacement not only puts a ton of unnecessary pressure on the former Chiefs RB but also likely downgrades the Lions' offense.
Despite having the benefit of playing behind Patrick Mahomes, Pacheco's numbers from the last two seasons are grizzly. Warren Sharp of Shap Football Analysis had pointed out that Pacheco faced the NFL's "highest rate of light boxes and lowest rate of 7+ and 8+ box defenders" in 2025.
In seven games in 2024, Pacheco averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Last season, it went up to 3.9 yards. In comparison, the league average was 4.4, and Montgomery averaged 4.5 in 2025. Incredibly enough, Pacheco didn't have a single rush over 16 yards last season.
Given his struggles in a favorable offensive ecosystem, Pacheco may find it even harder to make an impact in Detroit. Sure, Matt Nagy is not the most innovative offensive coordinator, and it's not like the other RBs in Kansas City were faring any better.
While that could be a source of optimism for the Lions, it's important to note that Pacheco's struggles can easily be traced back to his injury early in the 2024 season. After he suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2, he has not looked the same. He was able to return from the injury later that season, but looked like a shell of himself.
Is there a chance Pacheco can go back to his pre-injury self? Given how he has looked since the injury, expecting him to turn back the clock in that way may be unrealistic.
If there were other reliable rushers on the roster, perhaps this wouldn't be a big issue. But the Lions need Pacheco. It's just unclear whether he has enough left in the tank to be an important part of an offense with Super Bowl aspirations.
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