Lions backup RB Isiah Pacheco will miss at least he first 4 games of the regular season with a back injury. He had been injured earlier in the offseason with an MCL sprain. Year 2 RB Jacob Saylors will take over backup responsibilities until he returns, but this backfield belongs fully to superstar RB Jahmyr Gibbs.

After trading David Montgomery to the Texans early this offseason, backup RB could now be a weakness for Detroit. The Lions signed Pacheco to a cheap 1 year contract and now they will have to rely on Saylors as the backup. Saylors had an impressive 17 carry-1oo yard game in the 2026 preseason finale against the Colts. Gibbs will see the lions share of the touches and he’s poised to have a monster season. Pacheco, PlayerProfiler’s RB60, should regain the backup RB spot when he returns from IR, but he won’t be a fantasy option unless Gibbs gets injured.