The Kansas City Chiefs opted not to bring back Isiah Pacheco over the offseason. As a result, he signed with the Detroit Lions in a move that's now being called "underrated" by ESPN.
The NFL Nation crew went through each NFC North team and answered a few different questions about each team, including which move made during the offseason was the most underrated. For the Lions, it was signing Pacheco.
"Pacheco is viewed as a replacement for Montgomery, who was traded to Houston, and he's confident that his violent running style will complement Jahmyr Gibbs' speed in the backfield.
"He is hopeful that the move to Detroit will also spark a new beginning for a career that has gotten off track. Last season, he finished with a disappointing 462 rushing yards and two total touchdowns in 13 games but appears to be motivated by the new situation.
"Holmes was focused on adding players this offseason, such as Pacheco, to reestablish Detroit's blue-collar identity because "the urgency needed to be more pushed up on everything" after missing the postseason, he said during the NFL draft."
Isiah Pacheco considered Lions' most "underrated" signing
Chiefs fans might have a bit of a chuckle at this considering how downhill Pacheco's gone in recent years. Pacheco, a former seventh-round pick in 2022, helped the Chiefs win back-to-back Super Bowls as a rookie and second-year player but an injury in 2024 is when things went awry for him.
He posted a career-low 310 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in 2024 in seven games played and then only rushed for 462 yards and a rushing touchdown in 13 games played in 2025. It was clear when watching him that he wasn't the same player last year but maybe Detroit can squeeze something out of him.
After all, the Lions are a team known for being able to run the ball, which is something Kansas City hasn't been known for recently. Maybe Detroit will be able to unlock the 2022 and 2023 versions of Pacheco and Chiefs fans will wish the team hadn't moved on from him. Or maybe, it was simply time for a change of scenery for Pacheco and the Motor City gave him the best opportunity to try and revamp his career.
In Detroit, he won't have the pressure of being "the guy", as Jahmyr Gibbs will hold that distinction. If Pacheco doesn't look like his old self with the Lions though, it's probably a safe bet that he won't get back to that point during his career.
Either way, it was the right move for Kansas City to let Pacheco walk. He wasn't producing at an effective enough level and the Chiefs needed to revamp their run game to take pressure off of Patrick Mahomes as he returns from injury. The hope is that the additions of Kenneth Walker and Emmett Johnson help the rushing attack and that the Chiefs don't end up regretting letting Pacheco walk out the door.
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