Detroit Lions Sign Isiah Pacheco to Replace David Montgomery

The signing comes just days after Detroit agreed to trade David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, leaving a significant void in the backfield. Pacheco, 27, steps in to fill that role.

Terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

Pacheco’s Path to Detroit

Pacheco’s NFL journey is one worth remembering. Selected with the 251st pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he was a seventh-round flier that turned into something far more meaningful.

Midway through his rookie season in Kansas City, Pacheco earned the starting job over former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire. That was no small thing. It spoke to the kind of player Pacheco is: relentless, physical, and unwilling to back down from a moment.

He went on to help the Chiefs win two consecutive Super Bowl championships, becoming a central figure in one of the most dominant dynasties the NFL has seen in years. At his peak, Pacheco ran with an edge that Andy Reid’s offense leaned on heavily. In 2023, his best professional season, he rushed for a career-high 935 yards and recorded nine total touchdowns on 205 carries.

For a seventh-round pick, that kind of production is remarkable. Detroit is betting that version of Pacheco still exists.

Injuries Have Taken a Toll

Here is where the story gets complicated, and it would be dishonest not to address it directly.

In Week 2 of the 2024 season, Pacheco broke the fibula in his right leg. The injury cost him 10 games and, by most accounts, altered his trajectory. He was never quite the same explosive player after that.

Over the past two seasons combined, Pacheco missed 14 games. In 2025, his final year on his rookie contract in Kansas City, he carried the ball 118 times for 462 yards and a single rushing touchdown. He did not record a single carry of 20 or more yards all season. His explosive run rate, once a defining part of his game, had dropped off noticeably.

Kansas City made its decision accordingly. The Chiefs moved on, reaching agreement with Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III to take over as the lead back. That opened the door for Pacheco to find a new home.

He found one in Detroit.

What Pacheco Brings to the Lions

The Lions are not asking Pacheco to be what Jahmyr Gibbs is. Gibbs is the engine of this offense, a three-down back with elite athleticism and open-field ability. What Detroit needs is someone who can complement that, a runner with physicality and toughness who can handle a workload when needed.

Pacheco fits that profile, at least in theory. He runs downhill with conviction, and head coach Dan Campbell has never hidden his appreciation for that kind of mentality. Pacheco’s style of play, hard-nosed and physical, matches the identity Campbell has worked to build in Detroit.

The open questions are real, though. His availability over the past two seasons has been a genuine concern. His effectiveness in short-yardage and goal-line situations has also been inconsistent. In 2025, he had zero goal-line carries. In 2024, he had three carries for one total yard in those situations, per Next Gen Stats. Montgomery handled a lot of those duties in Detroit. Whether Pacheco can absorb that role remains to be seen.

A Reunion With Purpose

There is something quietly meaningful about this signing, beyond the football logistics. Pacheco spent four years helping build a dynasty in Kansas City, won two championships, and overcame serious injury to keep competing. Now, at 27, he gets a fresh start with a Lions team that genuinely believes it can win a Super Bowl.

Detroit has built something real. The organization is hungry, the locker room is unified, and Gibbs gives them a legitimate offensive weapon at running back. If Pacheco can find even a portion of his 2023 form, this backfield becomes a real problem for opposing defenses.

That is a big if. But for a team with championship aspirations, it is a bet worth making.