The Detroit Lions will be without Isiah Pacheco to begin the 2026 season.

The veteran running back has been placed on injured reserve because of a back injury, making him ineligible to play or practice for at least the first four games of the regular season.

Pacheco had initially been dealing with a knee injury during training camp, but that issue was no longer considered the main concern. His back injury ultimately became the bigger problem, leading Detroit to place him on injured reserve.

It is a disappointing setback for both Pacheco and the Lions.

Pacheco joined Detroit this offseason after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowls. He was expected to provide depth in the Lions’ backfield behind Jahmyr Gibbs and give Detroit another experienced option in the running game.

Now, the Lions will have to begin the season without him.

Pacheco will be required to miss at least four games, meaning the earliest he could potentially return would be later in the opening stretch of the season. The team has not provided a more specific timetable beyond that.

Fortunately for Detroit, the Lions still have several running backs available, including Gibbs, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small.

Still, losing Pacheco is not ideal.

His physical running style, experience and postseason pedigree could have been valuable for a Lions team with high expectations entering the season. Instead, Pacheco will now focus on getting healthy while Detroit adjusts its backfield to begin the year.

The Lions have plenty of depth at running back, but Isiah Pacheco will have to wait a little longer before making his Detroit debut.