Isiah Pacheco will miss the Detroit Lions' exhibition opener this week against the Cincinnati Bengals − and maybe the rest of the preseason − with a knee injury.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said before practice Monday, Aug. 10, that Pacheco has a sprained MCL in his knee, though he downplayed the extent of the injury.
“It’ll be a little bit," Campbell said. "We feel pretty good about him being ready to go, certainly when the season gets here. So I’m not concerned about that."
The Lions signed Pacheco this offseason to be Jahmyr Gibbs' primary backup at running back after trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
Pacheco ran for nearly 1,000 yards with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023 but has missed 14 games the past two seasons with injuries. In
2024, Pacheco missed 10 games with a fractured fibula but returned for the Chiefs' Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, he missed four games with a sprained MCL in his right knee.
Gibbs, who missed the first week of camp in a contract hold-in, is expected to serve as the Lions' bell cow this fall, with Pacheco ticketed for No. 2 duties at running back.
Gibbs took part in practice as a full participant Sunday, Aug. 9, for the first time this summer. Saylors and Jabari Small handled most of the first-team reps at running back in Gibbs' and Pacheco's absence.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions RB Isiah Pacheco could miss preseason with knee injury
