The Detroit Lions are dealing some an injury to their running back room.
On Tuesday, the team announced they have placed running back Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve due to a back injury, sidelining him for at least the first four games of the 2026 season.
Pacheco, 27, dealt with a pair of injuries throughout Lions training camp. First, Pacheco was sidelined with an MCL strain. Lions head coach Dan Campbell expected Pacheco to be “ready to go” for Detroit’s season opener with the MCL strain.
But, then Pacheco suffered a back injury in camp, which Campbell and Detroit seemed more concerned about.
The Lions signed Pacheco this offseason to replace the departed David Montgomery as Jahmyr Gibbs’ backup. Jacob Saylors now projects to open the season as Detroit’s No. 2 running back.
The Lions’ four opening games are versus the New Orleans Saints (Sept. 13), at the Buffalo Bills (Sept. 17), versus the New York Jets (Sept. 27) and at the Carolina Panthers (Oct. 4).
