It wasn't a surprise when Isiah Pacheco left the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason. Despite success early on in his career with the Chiefs, it had become crystal clear that he wasn't RB1 material anymore and therefore, letting him go made sense.
Pacheco then signed with the Detroit Lions in a move that felt like a good fit. Pacheco didn't need to be the starter in the Motor City as the Lions already have Jahmyr Gibbs in that role so the pressure wasn't entirely on Pacheco's shoulders. He could learn from a smart offensive-minded coach in Dan Campbell and see if a change of scenery could spark his career.
Unfortunately, injuries were the biggest reason for Pacheco's downfall in Kansas City and the injury bug might have followed him to Detroit. According to Adam Schefter, Pacheco sprained his MCL. The good news for Pacheco and the Lions is that the running back should be good to go by Week 1 of the regular season.
Former Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco suffers troubling setback
Injuries happen in the league but they seem to have hit Pacheco quite hard in recent years. He missed two games due to a shoulder injury in 2023, eight games due to a concussion and rib injury in 2024, and an MCL sprain sidelined him for four games in 2025. Considering that the most recent injury is also an MCL sprain, that's not great news for Pacheco and the Lions moving forward.
While the Chiefs watched Pacheco leave for Detroit, Brett Veach signed Kenneth Walker to become the star running back for K.C. Walker is fresh off being crowned Super Bowl MVP in February and adds a huge piece to this offense. Hopefully he can become the weapon that Pacheco and Kareem Hunt couldn't be for this team in recent years.
As for Pacheco, Chiefs fans will certainly still be rooting for him as he tries to make it with his new team. The two-time Super Bowl champion was a big part of this Chiefs squad in 2022 and 2023 and even though he's no longer in the red and gold, fans won't forget what he did for the team early in his career.
Hopefully, Pacheco can stay healthy and revamp his career in Detroit.
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