Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a sprained MCL, head coach Dan Campbell confirmed to reporters Monday, but the team expects him to be ready for the season opener. Campbell said he is not concerned about the injury threatening Pacheco's availability for Week 1, when the Lions host the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13, according to Yahoo Sports.
"But we feel good about that. We feel pretty good about him being ready to go, certainly when the season gets here," Campbell said in his Monday press conference, as reported by NBC Sports. "So, I'm not concerned about that."
Pacheco, 27, has been held out of practice at Detroit's training camp, listed on the team's injury report with an undisclosed issue before Campbell clarified the nature of the injury Monday, according to Pride Of Detroit. He is expected to remain sidelined "a little bit" longer, per Campbell, but the coaching staff's message has been consistent that the running back should be cleared in time for the regular season.
The injury comes at an inconvenient moment for a Lions backfield that is still sorting out its depth chart behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco signed with Detroit in March on a one-year, $1.81 million contract, arriving as a replacement for veteran David Montgomery, who was traded to the Houston Texans during the offseason, according to Yahoo Sports. The move was widely viewed as Detroit adding proven insurance behind Gibbs, who is locked in as the clear lead back and will carry a heavy workload regardless of who backs him up.
With Pacheco out of practice, the Lions have used training camp to evaluate other options who could offset Gibbs if Pacheco is not fully ready by the season opener. Yahoo Sports reported that Detroit could look outside the organization to work out additional running backs, or it could turn to players already on the roster, including Raheem Blackshear, Kye Robichaux, Jacob Saylors, Jabari Small or Sione Vaki. Vaki, however, has his own injury concerns, having been held out of practice with an eye issue and a broken nose, per Pride Of Detroit's training camp report.
A Bounce-Back Bid After an Injury-Plagued 2024
Pacheco is entering his fifth NFL season after four years with the Kansas City Chiefs, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 251st overall. He immediately carved out a role in Kansas City's backfield, rushing for 830 yards and adding 130 receiving yards with five total touchdowns as a rookie, according to Yahoo Sports.
He built on that performance in 2023, posting 935 rushing yards, 244 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns, numbers that suggested he was on track to become the Chiefs' full-time featured back. That trajectory was interrupted in 2024, when a fractured fibula suffered in Week 2 shortened his season and disrupted his development. Pacheco never fully returned to his earlier form that year, and the Chiefs ultimately let him walk in free agency, per Yahoo Sports.
Last season, across 13 games, Pacheco rushed for 462 yards with one touchdown and caught 19 passes for 101 yards and a receiving score, according to NBC Sports. Those totals reflect a diminished role and production compared to his 2022 and 2023 seasons, underscoring why Detroit's one-year deal was viewed as a relatively low-cost bet on a player looking to rebuild value in a new offense.
Other Injury Developments at Lions Camp
Pacheco's update was one of several injury items Campbell addressed as the Lions worked through Day 10 of training camp. The most significant news of the day involved starting center Cade Mays, who is expected to miss eight to ten weeks after fracturing his wrist, according to Pride Of Detroit. That injury has thrust interior lineman Juice Scruggs into contention to be Detroit's Week 1 starting center. Campbell described Scruggs' issue as a soft-tissue injury that will keep him out "a few more days" before he is able to return, with Seth McLaughlin filling in as the starting center in practice in the meantime.
Elsewhere on the injury front, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. and defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo both returned to practice Monday after missing time with undisclosed and minor issues, respectively. Cornerback D.J. Reed, recovering from a minor groin injury, was seen doing training work on an incline for the first time since he was hurt, a sign the team considers encouraging. Campbell had previously said Reed's injury was not a "major issue" and that he would be back.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs was limited in team drills for reasons unrelated to injury, having just joined the roster, though he participated in individual throwing drills. A longer list of players did not practice Monday beyond Pacheco and Vaki, including wide receiver Greg Dortch, offensive tackle Giovanni Manu, guard Juice Scruggs, edge rusher Payton Turner, defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, linebackers Damone Clark and Jimmy Rolder, and safeties Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch and Avonte Maddox, according to Pride Of Detroit's camp notes. Offensive tackle Devin Cochran also left practice early with an undisclosed injury and did not return, prompting Miles Frazier and Larry Borom to see extended reps at tackle with the second team.
For now, the Lions' primary concern remains ensuring their backfield depth is sorted out before the regular season begins. Campbell's public comments suggest the team is treating Pacheco's MCL sprain as a short-term setback rather than a long-term threat, but with training camp winding down and the season opener against New Orleans approaching, Detroit's coaching staff will need to finalize who lines up behind Gibbs if Pacheco needs any additional time to recover.
