Despite the one constant of Jahmyr Gibbs, the Detroit Lions are poised to see a major change in their offensive backfield during the 2026 season.
Gibbs is in line to get more attention and shoulder the majority of the team's workload this year. After trading away David Montgomery, the Lions signed Isiah Pacheco to provide more punch at the position. Pacheco figures to be the obvious No. 2 option, but that certainly isn't set in stone.
In the last few years, Pacheco has run hot and cold in terms of production and ability, which is presumably why the Kansas City Chiefs didn't re-sign him in free agency. Even though he is a top talent, the Lions have a hungry player lurking in the wings that could serve him notice: Sione Vaki.
Sione Vaki could siphon touches from Isiah Pacheco in Lions training camp
Entering training camp, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic picked out the 10 players with the most to gain and lose ($) during practices this year. Interestingly, he has Pacheco as a player who could be poised to lose the most. The reasoning?
Vaki might be poised to cut into his carries and prove he is a more dependable option moving forward, as Pouncy highlighted:
"Per Warren Sharp, among RBs with at least 100 rush attempts last season, Pacheco ranked 46th in explosive run rate (3.4 percent), 47th in longest rush (16 yds on 118 attempts), 47th in success rate (29.7 percent) and 38th in YPC (3.9) despite facing the NFL’s highest rate of light boxes and lowest rate of seven- and eight-plus box defenders. It’s fair to wonder if Pacheco is still the same player he once was — even if the Lions don’t necessarily need him to be.
"Now, Pacheco likely won’t have to lose sleep in training camp. There’s a role for him in this offense. But Sione Vaki was quietly putting together an excellent training camp last year when healthy. By all accounts, the hamstring isn’t an issue. He was available for OTAs and minicamp and should be next week as well. He’s a natural pass catcher, but if Vaki continues to develop, the opportunity is there for him to cut into Pacheco’s touches."
Vaki, drafted in 2024, has been a jack-of-all-trades for the Lions. He was a two-way player in college and can be used defensively, play on special teams and also moonlight at running back. So far, he's proven to be most effective at running back. However, he's often been blocked on the roster by others such as Craig Reynolds and has dealt with injuries.
This year, given his newfound health, there might not be much standing in Vaki's way in terms of proving himself, and that could end up being bad news for Pacheco if he isn't ready to attack his new opportunity.
Lions RBs coach Tashard Choice is excited by Sione Vaki's development opportunity
Another reason there could be a shakeup brewing? The Lions seem to love what Vaki has done this offseason during the OTA period. He has not only gotten healthy, but also proven he can be more than a special teams player for Detroit.
Lions running backs coach Tashard Choice has seen Vaki up close for months and realizes that the time is coming for him to prove he belongs in the NFL as a running back. He believes he has the right goods to compete and push his teammates for a bigger role.
"[Vaki's] one of the best in the league on special teams," Choice said during minicamp. "This offseason, you can see the development. You can see the work ethic. I can get on Vaki all day. I'm probably going to get on him most, but he never complains, gets back on the field, does what he's supposed to do and works his tail off. People like him that work hard and want to get better, it's easy for a coach when you have guys like that. I've got to continue to push his envelope. It's been remarkable to see him work through injuries, get back this year and work at his craft. It's been good for him."
Vaki should see a heavy workload during the preseason, and that should allow him to show what he can do. There's no question that he could make enough of an impression during that time to make life tough on Pacheco this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google