Isiah Pacheco revealed that the Kansas City Chiefs made him an offer to return in 2026. But when they added Kenneth Walker III to their depth chart in free agency, Pacheco decided to take his talents to the Detroit Lions instead.
“There were a lot of teams, (and) I had eight opportunities to go to different teams. Kansas City was one of them,” Pacheco said during his introductory press conference in Detroit.
“Once they made that move (signing Kenneth Walker III), I knew that I had to open up the door to go somewhere else. This (Lions) was the first place I thought of.”
Pacheco’s experience with Chiefs before Lions move
The Chiefs handed a big contract to Walker, who hit free agency after winning Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks. After that, Pacheco signed a one-year, $1.81 million fully guaranteed deal to join the Lions.
Pacheco is coming off a lackluster season with the Chiefs, recording just 462 yards while averaging 35 rushing yards per game and 3.9 per carry in 2025. However, his past performances make him an interesting fit for Detroit.
In 2023, Pacheco racked up 935 rushing yards for seven touchdowns, improving his numbers from a promising rookie year in 2022 (830 rushing yards for five touchdowns).
Pacheco boosts Lions RB room
A key contributor to two Super Bowl wins in Kansas City, Pacheco is bringing championship experience to a Lions team that needed depth in the RB room after trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
He’ll be the second running back on the depth chart behind Jahmyr Gibbs, a player Pacheco is looking forward to playing with.
“Jahmyr is a hell of a player,” Pacheco said. “Hats off to him and the guys who have been putting in work here for a couple years now.
“Me looking from the outside in, it’s a hell of a group, and whatever I can do to contribute to the team is going to happen. Whether that’s punting the ball, whatever it’s at, no matter where I’m at on the field, cheering the guys on, bringing excitement to the team, bringing leadership, accountability.”
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Pacheco felt it was time to leave Kansas City
Pacheco could’ve stayed in Kansas City, but with Walker arriving to take the RB1 role, he may have faced bigger competition with Brashard Smith entering his second year in the league. Besides, the Chiefs can still bring back Kareem Hunt.
Perhaps a change of scenery is what he needed at this point in his young career. Detroit wants to get over the hump, and Pacheco could play a role in helping Dan Campbell lead the Lions to a long-awaited Super Bowl.
