Isiah Pacheco Injury Update, Latest Rumors on Lions RB's Timeline to Return After Surgery Decision

The Detroit Lions will be relying on starting running back Jahmyr Gibbs more than ever in the 2026 season.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, backup running back Isiah Pacheco may be out until at least December after undergoing back surgery.

The Lions had previously announced that Pacheco had been placed on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the season. Head coach Dan Campbell announced on Monday that Pacheco is expected to miss a "significant amount of time" after surgery.

With Pacheco sidelined, Detroit pulled out a 31-30 overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. Gibbs ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Sione Vaki (two carries for seven yards) and Jared Goff (two carries for two yards) were the only other players to have carries for the Lions.

Pacheco signed a one-year deal with Detroit in March after spending the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he won two Super Bowls. His signing came after the Lions traded veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, breaking up the "Sonic and Knuckles" tandem between him and Gibbs.

A seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Pacheco showed promise early in his career with over 1,700 rushing yards across his first two seasons. He suffered a fractured fibula early in the 2024 season and hasn't been the same since, finishing the 2025 campaign with 118 carries for 462 yards and one touchdown.

Still, the Lions were hoping that a healthy Pacheco would be able to take the load off of Gibbs, who is already one of the top workhorse running backs in the league. Gibbs signed a three-year contract extension worth up to $75.5 million last month, making him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.

Without Pacheco available, the Lions will have Vaki and Jacob Saylors spell Gibbs from time to time, but it's safe to say that the three-time Pro Bowler will be getting the lion's share of the carries to start the season.