Isiah “Pop” Pacheco is no stranger to Super Bowls, having attended the NFL finale three years in a row. He debuted in 2022 with the Kansas City Chiefs and remained with them till 2025. Now that he has signed with the Detroit Lions, he is keeping his focus intact.

The Lions signed running back Pacheco to a one-year, $1.81 million deal, as reported by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. The 2x Super Bowl champion is waiting for the next title.

"It felt like home the second I stepped in the doors," Pacheco said of arriving in Detroit. "I went to three Super Bowls, but I'm unsatisfied. I'm hungry and I'm dying to get back in that environment, especially with this crew here that's never done it and I want to set history."

The Detroit Lions are still searching for their first Super Bowl appearance after 60 seasons, while Pacheco comes from a franchise with four Super Bowl titles to its name.

Pacheco had eight teams to choose from in free agency. He even considered a return to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he ultimately chose Detroit, believing his physical running style is an ideal fit alongside Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs’ speed in the backfield.

"We're going to challenge each other in that room," Pacheco has already tapped into the mindset of helping the Lions script a turnaround story. "Every day we're going to get better. That's what it's about. Building competition in the room to make each other better. And it's going to be fun."

Earlier, the Lions had paired Jahmyr Gibbs with David Montgomery, and the two slotted seamlessly together. Gibbs' speed and Montgomery's power earned the duo the nickname "Sonic and Knuckles" and led to a volley of dynamic, powerful plays.

However, Montgomery was traded after his effectiveness began declining, and has been replaced by Pacheco.

With his tough, physical running style, Isiah Pacheco fits exactly what the Detroit Lions need alongside Gibbs to create a balanced backfield duo.

Isiah Pacheco opens up about his injury

During the press conference, Pacheco shared more about the injury that caused his performance to dip. Over the last two seasons, injuries have limited Pacheco to 20 of 34 games.

An MCL issue and a broken fibula have taken a toll, especially for a runner who depends heavily on power and athleticism

He was asked how much fracturing his fibula had sapped his speed and if he could get back to the same heights he had reached during his first two years with the Chiefs.

He responded that it was the first time he had suffered a fracture that extreme, and agreed that it could definitely slow a player down. But having a mentality where he was unsatisfied with the situation was necessary to make such a huge comeback.

“Definitely was a crazy experience going through that. Never broke a bone to that extreme. But it was definitely a major comeback and just having that mindset of, like, winning a day every day, coming in the building, winning a day to get next to the guys”, Pacheco said.

He is ready with a fresh slate in Detroit. Will he be the weapon for the Lions to move closer to the Super Bowl? Share your thoughts.

Read more at Detroit Lions Community.

Written by

Arundhoti Palit