The Detroit Lions' decision to trade David Montgomery away to the Houston Texans was met with some trepidation from the fanbase, and that uncertainty was only increased when they named former Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco as his effective replacement.
After signing Pacheco to a one-year contract, the Lions are betting big on their player development. That is the only explanation for this deal, as anyone looking at Pacheco's performance in Kansas City does not see a player worthy of consistent RB2 snaps on a team with championship aspirations in the 2026 season.
Of the 49 qualified running backs with over 100 attempts, Pacheco ranked 47th in success rate on rushes (29.7%). Longest run? How about just 16 yards, which was 47th-longest. Explosive run rate? 47th again. His yards per carry were at 38th at just 3.9 yards per carry.
Pacheco also put those numbers up while facing the lowest number of heavy boxes in the league, which comes with the territory when playing alongside Patrick Mahomes. Not only is replacing Montgomery with Pacheco less than just a lateral move, it may be a major downgrade.
Concerning stats show Lions may have missed with Isiah Pacheco signing
The Lions seem to be betting on the twin notions that Matt Nagy's rushing offense was so deplorable that leaving it for anywhere else will be an improvement and the Lions' offensive line can make even a player like Pacheco one of the best complementary runners in the league.
New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who comes from some very successful rushing offenses in Cleveland and helped James Conner put his best seasons together in Arizona, may be of the mindset that he can fix Pacheco. That boost may not be enough to help a very limited player in Pacheco.
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Pacheco will likely not have RB2 completely locked up just yet. Sione Vaki is still around, and the Lions could bring someone else to town by way of the 2026 NFL Draft. His hard-charging style is fun to watch, but Dan Campbell will find it hard to justify taking touches away from Jahmyr Gibbs and giving them to Pacheco.
The Lions have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to skill position players through the Campbell and Brad Holmes eras, but unless Pacheco manages to turn back the clock, the Lions' dreams of not overworking Gibbs may not come to fruition.