ALLEN PARK, Mich. — A rush of adrenaline hit running back Isiah Pacheco during his initial conversation with Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell early this week.
“I was screaming on the phone,” recalled Pacheco, who had just agreed to a one-year, $1.8 million deal with the Lions. “Let’s f—ing go. I’m ready to go. Put me in.”
“Oh, yeah, Pacheco, what number are you going with? Are you going with 10?” Campbell responded.
“F—ing right. Let’s go,” Pacheco said. “I’m on my way. I’m coming home.”
After spending his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowl titles, Pacheco, 27, is hoping the move to Detroit will spark a new beginning for a career that had gotten off track.
Pacheco said he considered eight teams throughout the free agency process, including a return to Kansas City, where he was a standout in his first two seasons. He ultimately decided to sign with Detroit, viewing it as a perfect situation for his physical running style, which he believes will complement Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs‘ speed in the backfield.
“I feel wanted. Now is the time to build off the previous years,” Pacheco said in his introductory news conference Thursday. “You’re going to have doubters, it comes with it. It’s how you perform and how you react and I know that I’m willing to give it all, 110 percent, and that’s what I love to do.”
In Detroit, Pacheco is viewed as a replacement for veteran running back David Montgomery, who was traded to the Houston Texans this offseason after spending three years with the Lions.
The partnership Gibbs and Montgomery formed earned them the nickname “Sonic & Knuckles” because of their contrasting styles. The duo set the NFL record for the most games in which both running backs scored a touchdown in the same game (15).
Pacheco said he is excited to bring his own flavor into the mix.
“They could call me Taz,” Pacheco said. “I’m going to go crazy. I’m going to spin, jump, whatever I can do to get the first down to accommodate Jahmyr — and we’re fast. We got speed and they can’t sleep on it.”
Pacheco finished with a disappointing 462 rushing yards and two total touchdowns in 13 games last season. Of his 118 carries in 2025, zero went for 20 yards or more.
It was part of a trend that saw his numbers dip following a September 2024 fibula fracture that limited him to seven games that season. But in Detroit, he says he is motivated and will do whatever it takes to contribute.
“Whether it’s punting the ball, wherever it’s at,” Pacheco said. “Don’t matter where I’m at on the field. Cheering the guys on, bringing excitement to the team and bringing the leadership, accountability. I’m a two-time champ and I’m not satisfied though. That’s something that I’m not satisfied with. I’m more hungrier than I ever was and I’m ready to get to work.”
But while Pacheco has been the flashiest free agent signing so far, the Lions also addressed their needs on the offensive line over the past week. They signed Cade Mays, who will likely play center, to a three-year deal, and they signed Detroit native Larry Borom, a former Miami Dolphins O-lineman, to a one-year deal.
Mays, who started 12 games for Carolina in 2025 and didn’t give up a sack over 726 snaps, sees Detroit as a perfect match.
“I love the brand of football they play. I feel like I would’ve fit in here,” Mays said. “Coming into free agency, I felt like this was a team where they fit what I do and I fit what they do.”
Borom should also provide functional depth for a unit that ranked 20th in run block win rate (70.6%) and 31st in pass block win rate (55.5%) last season and is looking to get back on track.
“I’ve played four different positions over my career so in any way I can help the team and just help us move forward, I’m willing to do whatever,” said Borom, who started in 11 games for the Dolphins last season. “Whether I start, not start, I’m a team player.”
Detroit also focused on depth in the secondary. After seeing cornerback Amik Robertson join the Commanders in free agency, the team re-signed cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and brought in fellow corner Roger McCreary and safety Christian Izien.
Detroit’s back four was hit with a rash of injuries last season, including season-enders to its star safety tandem of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, and the depth and the extra cover should help.
