Lions running back Isiah Pacheco undergoes back surgery, faces 12-week recovery
Quick Look
- Lions running back Isiah Pacheco underwent back surgery to remove a body pressing on a nerve, with a 12-week recovery timeline targeting a December return, coach Dan Campbell announced.
- Pacheco, 27, began the season on injured reserve after an MCL sprain in training camp.
- He previously played four seasons with the Chiefs, accumulating 2,537 yards and 14 touchdowns.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Isiah Pacheco joined the Detroit Lions on a one-year contract after the team traded veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. Pacheco previously spent four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was a two-time Super Bowl champion and accumulated 2,537 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns over 576 carries.
Lions running back Isiah Pacheco underwent back surgery, coach Dan Campbell announced on Monday. The surgery was to remove a body that was pressing on a nerve in his back, and it is a 12-week recovery, with the target of a December return to action, according to ESPN.
"It'll be a significant amount of time," Campbell said.
The 27-year-old began the season on injured reserve. He suffered an MCL sprain during training camp, causing him to miss some time, but Campbell said it was no longer an issue.
Pacheco spent the last four seasons with the Chiefs. The two-time Super Bowl champion registered 1,765 yards in his first two seasons in the league. In four years, he has 2,537 yards on 576 carries with 14 touchdowns. He signed a one-year contract with the Lions after Detroit traded veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
With Pacheco out, the Lions offense will need to lean on Jahmyr Gibbs even more than they already do. Former fourth-round pick Sione Vaki also takes on a more significant role.
Gibbs delivered a solid Week 1 performance, going for 156 yards and two touchdowns on his 29 carries in an overtime victory over the Saints. Vaki had two carries for seven yards and struggled as a blocker.
"But he did have some reps in there that were good," Campbell said. "He had a couple of carries I thought were pretty good, and he got a ball on a checkdown that wasn't bad. We've just got to tighten this stuff up with him a little bit because we're going to need to be able to use him. That's the bottom line. He and [Jacob] Saylors."
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Isiah Pacheco will return to action in December
Likely · Within months
Jahmyr Gibbs will see an increased workload in the Lions' offense
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What was the exact nature of the 'body' pressing on Pacheco's nerve?
- Will Pacheco be able to return to form after the 12-week recovery?
- How will the Lions' offensive strategy change with Pacheco sidelined?
- Is Sione Vaki capable of handling an increased workload as a blocker and ball carrier?
