The Detroit Lions made the surprise decision to include five running backs on their 53-man roster. The reason for this became clear when Isiah Pacheco immediately landed on the injured reserve. The Lions used the open roster spot to bring back tight end Tyler Conklin.
The decision to place Pacheco on the injured reserve raised some eyebrows in Detroit. His training camp injuries weren't deemed to be serious enough to warrant missing at least the first four games of the season. Now it turns out that his outlook could be even worse.
On Wednesday, Lions GM Brad Holmes addressed the media. He discussed the state of the roster and the difficult decisions they had to make on roster cutdown day.
The most concerning part of his remarks came with regard to Pacheco. Holmes said that the veteran running back was "steadily feeling better," per Lions insider Jeremy Reisman. But he refused to provide a timeline for Pacheco's return. When asked whether he expects Pacheco to play this season, Holmes responded, "Yeah, that's the hope."
What do Brad Holmes' remarks about Isiah Pacheco's injury mean?
This may not mean anything, but the answer is noteworthy. Holmes is known to give coy, vague answers to questions. At the same time, it wouldn't have been too hard to say, "Yes, almost certainly" instead of "that's the hope," if the team actually felt good about Pacheco's chances.
At the very least, this sounds like Pacheco is not in line to return in Week 5. More likely than not, this will be a long-term absence. This is in line with Dan Campbell's latest remarks when he refused to give anything definitive on Pacheco and called it "a little touch and go."
The fact that it's a back injury and that the Lions have refused to provide any more details than that is certainly concerning. It has a chance of being a nagging issue throughout the season.
This complicates Detroit's running back rotation. Jacob Saylors will likely be the RB2 and will have a chance to emerge as a difference-maker. Sione Vaki and Jabari Small will also get their chances, but they will be special teams contributors more than anything. If Saylors establishes himself as a reliable playmaker in the backfield, this could signal the end of Pacheco's time in Detroit before it even kicks off.
Considering that Pacheco was meant to replace David Montgomery in the rotation, this is highly disappointing. It makes the decision to let D-Mo go hurt even more.
Let's just hope that Pacheco is still able to return and make an impact. For now, unfortunately, the odds of that happening aren't looking promising.
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