The Lions signed Isiah Pacheco to run behind Jahmyr Gibbs. He might not run for them at all.
Pacheco underwent surgery after suffering a back injury in training camp and will be out for the foreseeable future.
"It’s gonna be a while," Dan Campbell said Monday. "I mean, I really can’t (give you a timeline). It’ll be a significant amount of time, though."
Pacheco signed a one-year, $1.8 million deal with the Lions this offseason after the club traded David Montgomery to the Texans. Montgomery wanted out after being relegated to Gibbs' backup in 2025.
Jared Goff on Jahmyr Gibbs' workload in game one pic.twitter.com/4bDu9OLPBQ
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) September 14, 2026
Detroit hoped Pacheco's experience and hard-charging style would naturally complement Gibbs. It made sense on paper. But Pacheco hasn't been the same runner since breaking his leg early in the 2024 season, and he lost several weeks last year to an MCL strain.
He suffered another MCL strain this year in camp, then injured his back while rehabbing the knee. Now there's a chance his season is over.
The Lions, meanwhile, are rolling with Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors behind Gibbs, the two of whom entered this season with nine combined carries in the NFL, and nine combined offensive snaps last season.
That led to Gibbs shouldering 29 carries and 34 touches, both career highs, in the Lions' Week 1 win over the Saints.
Are the Lions still missing Ben Johnson? pic.twitter.com/xObADCFXzB
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) September 14, 2026
Vaki played a career-high 22 offensive snaps in the season opener and struggled in pass protection. He was guilty of knocking Penei Sewell off his block of Chase Young when Vaki ran into Sewell from behind, which led to Jared Goff getting destroyed by Young on his blindside.
Vaki and the Lions were bailed out when the strip-sack touchdown for the Saints was shockingly ruled an incomplete pass upon review.
Vaki also took two carries for seven yards and caught one pass for 11 yards in Detroit's 31-30 overtime win.
Asked what kind of workload Gibbs can handle Thursday night against the Bills with such a short turnaround, Campbell said with a smile, "I just told him, make sure you drink plenty of Gatorade."
