Following David Montgomery's departure to the Houston Texans, running back became a major area of focus for a Detroit Lions team that is looking to return to the playoffs in 2026.
With Montgomery elsewhere, the Lions signed former Kansas City Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco to a one-year, $1.81 million deal to pair him alongside Jahmyr Gibbs. While the Lions are clearly putting their trust in Pacheco to be a suitable replacement for Montgomery, he is unlikely to give them the same level of production at a position that has quietly become one of the team's biggest weaknesses ahead of training camp.
As good as Gibbs has been, sky-high expectations could lead to a disappointing season from him, at least based on the increased load that is going to be placed on him. With a lack of depth behind Gibbs and Pacheco in Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors, combined with consecutive down seasons for Pacheco, this is a move that could come back to bite Detroit and totally backfire on the Lions.
Isiah Pacheco facing tall task with Lions
Pacheco was phenomenal during his first two seasons, running for at least 830 yards in both campaigns and accumulating 12 TDs, in addition to 374 combined yards and a pair of receiving TDs. Since then, he has only played in a total of 20 regular-season games over the last two seasons and has been slowed down by multiple injuries.
A fractured right fibula forced Pacheco to miss seven games in 2024, while a rib injury sidelined him for another. He ultimately struggled to return to form in 2025 and dealt with an MCL sprain, recording just three total TDs (one receiving) during that span and setting the stage for a move the Lions could regret.
Not only did Montgomery take on more of a split role with Gibbs as he put up a whopping 33 rushing TDs during his three years with the Lions, but he averaged at least 4.2 yards per carry each of those seasons and as many as 4.6 in 2023. For comparison, Pacheco only averaged 3.7 yards in 2024 and 3.9 last season, failing to record a single rush over 16 yards in all of 2025.
Even in a favorable environment with Patrick Mahomes at QB and Andy Reid on the sidelines, Pacheco failed to build off his first two seasons, a lot of which was likely due to the fractured fibula that certainly limited his mobility and kept him from being as explosive. At this point, it is fair to even wonder if the Lions will experience buyer's remorse and find Pacheco's replacement before he even plays a snap.
After all, this was a player who had the 54th-ranked overall Pro Football Focus grade (58.6) out of 55 qualified RBs, in addition to the 53rd-ranked rushing grade (67.4). Montgomery set a high bar for anyone coming in to fill his shoes, but it is hard to see this being a win-win for Detroit, given the lack of success Pacheco has experienced in the last two seasons.
For this team to be at its best, it needs someone who can take the load off of Gibbs and wear down opposing defenses so he can use his explosiveness and make them miss when the ball is in his hands. Recent history suggests Pacheco is not that guy, which could leave Detroit in a precarious position and serve as a reminder of how important Montgomery was to this offense.
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