The Lions are running into some depth issues behind Jahmyr Gibbs. No wonder they worked out free agent Kareem Hunt.
Isiah Pacheco was signed to be the No. 2 after the Lions traded David Montgomery. But Pacheco hasn't practiced since suffering a knee injury early in camp, and he recently incurred a back injury on top of it.
The Lions originally expected Pacheco to be ready by Week 1. Now it's not so clear.
"I can't give you anything definitive," Dan Campbell said Thursday. "He is feeling better as of yesterday. It's been a little touch and go right now. He's had a little bit of a back and we're hoping he's coming out of this as of yesterday a little bit."
Campbell described Pacheco's knee injury as a sprained/strained MCL, the same injury that cost him a month last season. It's not clear if it's the same knee, but the back is the bigger issue at this point: "The knee is not the concern," said Campbell.
That being said, Pacheco also broke his leg early in the 2024 season and hasn't been nearly as productive since.
Would you be surprised if the Lions cut Sione Vaki? pic.twitter.com/ua6KiawkqA
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) August 27, 2026
No. 3 on the running backs depth chart is Sione Vaki, who carried the ball a lot in Thursday's scrimmage to close camp. But Vaki has had trouble staying healthy in his young career. He missed a chunk of camp this summer due to a freak eye/nose injury, then missed the second preseason game due to back spasms. He also dealt with hamstring and groin issues last year that cost him six games.
Mostly a safety in college, Vaki has seven NFL carries to his name, just one of those coming last season.
Behind Vaki is Jacob Saylors, who's been Detroit's best back this camp outside of Gibbs. Saylors suffered a minor ankle injury in the preseason opener, but has impressed with the ball in his hands. He looks like a smooth, patient runner. But Saylors, who went undrafted out of East Tennessee State in 2022, has just two NFL carries to his name.
Saylors, 26, has bounced around NFL practice squads, with a couple stints in the UFL/XFL. He was the Lions' top kick returner last season, but is largely an unknown at this level and doesn't fit the physical, bruising mold that would make him a natural complement to Gibbs.
That's what the Lions seem to like about veteran Trayveon Williams, who played well in his preseason debut with Detroit last week shortly after being signed. But Williams has been primarily a special teams player for most of his career, carrying the ball just 10 times last year with the Browns and Chargers.
If Pacheco is back soon, the situation might resolve itself. But the longer his absence lingers, the more the Lions will have to consider bringing someone in.
