The Detroit Lions placed running back Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve with a back issue, the team announced Tuesday, sidelining him for at least four games.
The Lions signed Pacheco this offseason to replace the departed David Montgomery as Jahmyr Gibbs' backup. Jacob Saylors now projects to begin the campaign as Detroit's No. 2 running back.
Pacheco also dealt with an MCL sprain in training camp.
The 27-year-old spent the first four seasons of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He served as Kansas City's No. 1 running back in the first two years of his career, but his effectiveness waned in 2024 and 2025 as he dealt with injuries.
Pacheco rushed for 1,765 yards in 2022 and 2023, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. He was an integral piece of Kansas City's back-to-back Super Bowl victories, adding 510 rushing yards in seven playoff games. However, Pacheco appeared in just 20 games over the last two seasons and rushed for 772 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt.
The Chiefs drafted Pacheco in the seventh round in 2022.
Saylors, an undrafted free agent out of East Tennessee State in 2023, has just two career NFL rushing attempts under his belt.
