Running back Isiah Pacheco brought the energy to his introductory news conference with the Detroit Lions.
The Lions signed him to a contract on March 11, though the terms were not made public. He joins the Lions’ backfield as the new No.2 to complement superstar Jahmyr Gibbs. At the podium on March 11, Pacheco said he was ready to prove himself to his new teammates.
“I’m going to set a standard, coming in 110 percent. And that’s important when you’ve got someone that’s new coming in the building, you observe them. And as players, you will observe,” Pacheco said.
“When I was on another team and seen players that come in, we observed them as players. And that’s who you figure out who you’re going to go to war with. [I want to] set the first and the best impression. I’m hungry and I want to win it here, not [anywhere] else.”
Pacheco was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Rutgers in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He exploded onto the scene thanks to his sub-4.4 speed and ferocious running style.
“That violent rushing style comes from being unsatisfied. Going out there on the field, you’re never going to know when [it’s] your last play. Going out there, making that play for your teammate will show them that you care about them, and vice versa,” he said on March 12.
“When you’ve got a wide receiver blocking down the field as a running back, you love that, because when you get the opportunity to block for him, you’re going to finish everything in a way to help him get positive yardage. So that just comes with the mentality of being accountable to each other.”
He rushed for 830 yards and 5 touchdowns in his rookie season; added 130 receiving yards; and had 597 kick return yards. He performed even better in 2023, rushing for 935 yards and 7 TDs, and adding 244 yards and 2 TDs through the air. He won back-to-back Super Bowls in those two seasons.
His career was subsequently derailed by injuries. He played in just 7 games in 2024 after fracturing his fibula, rushing for 310 yards and a TD, and catching 12 passes for 79 yards. In 2025, he missed time again due to an MCL sprain; he played in 13 games, racking up 462 rushing yards and one score, and 101 receiving yards and a TD.
Pacheco described his injuries as an exercise in resilience.
“I never broke a bone to that extreme. But it was definitely a major comeback, and just having the mindset of winning the day, every day coming in the building, winning the day to get next to the guys, showing that I’m in the building ... So when I did step back foot on the field, I wasn’t like I was missing. Yes, it can slow you down, but having that mentality of a dog and unsatisfied is important when it comes to this, because you could get really comfortable with the circumstances.”
Pacheco will also step in to fill the void left by Gibbs’s former backfield mate, David Montgomery. The Lions traded “Knuckles” to the Houston Texans this week. Pacheco paid his respects to “Sonic” as one of the league’s best.
“They could call me Taz,” he said. “I’m going to go crazy. I’m going to spin, jump, whatever I can do to get the first down, to combine with Jahmyr. And we’re fast. We’ve got speed, and they can’t sleep on it.”
He said he would do whatever he could to contribute to the offense.
“Whether it’s punting the ball, wherever it’s at, doesn’t matter where I’m at on the field, cheering the guys on, bringing excitement to the team, and bringing the leadership and accountability. I’m a two-time champ. Not satisfied though. That’s something that I’m not satisfied with. I’m more hungry than I ever was. and I’m ready to get to work.”
Pacheco was also looking forward to proving himself to quarterback Jared Goff and the offensive line. He recounted how learning to block was a pivotal part of his transition from a high school quarterback to a college running back, then again in the pros.
“I just can’t wait to block my [expletive] off for him, man,” he said of Goff. “And I know the O-line, showing what type of player I am. It starts at practice first.”
