Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco feels that he is finally in a perfect situation for himself. Pacheco has enjoyed working with running backs coach Tashard Choice and feels that Choice is the coach he has always needed.
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When Pacheco was drafted in the seventh round in 2022, his running backs coach was Greg Lewis. However, Lewis only spent one season with Pacheco and the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2023, Todd Pinkston took over and has been the position coach for Pacheco since then.
Now, Pacheco is with Choice, who is only in his second year as running backs coach in the NFL. He started his career as the running backs coach of North Texas in 2018 and jumped to his alma mater, Georgia Tech from 2019 21 in the same position. He remained running backs coach, but moved to the University of Texas from 2022-24 before being hired by the Lions.
The good news for Choice is that he was retained despite a change in offensive coordinator from 2025 to 2026. Despite thinking the staff was not being run well, they did think that Choice was doing a good job. Pacheco already agrees.
One reason could be that neither Lewis or Pinkston played running back in the NFL, but Choice did. This seems to connect with Pacheco more.
The Detroit Lions are Hoping for Isiah Pacheco to Bounce Back
GettyDetroit lions running back Isaiah Pacheco.
Pacheco came out of the gates with his hair on fire during his rookie season. He created 830 yards on the ground on 170 attempts. He also had 13 catches for 130 yards. In his second year, he got even better, seeing 205 carries and turning that into 935 yards. Pacheco had 44 catches for 244 yards in what has now turned out to be the best year of his career.
In 2024, he fractured his fibula and only played in seven games. He carried the ball 83 times for 310 yards and caught 12 passes for 79 yards. He was working his way back to full health, but was not quite as impactful for the Chiefs in 2025, either. Some of this had to do with the offense taking a step back, but he did not look as dynamic as he was in the first two seasons. He ended up with 118 carries for 462 yards and 19 catches for 101 yards.
Pacheco Needs to Replace David Montgomery for the Lions
The Lions signed Pacheco to be a direct replacement for Montgomery, who the team traded to the Houston Texans this offseason. Paecho has a similar running style, but has not had the health in recent years to back it up.
Montgomery went from 185 carries in 2024 to 158 carries in 2025, as the team began to shift towards Jahmyr Gibbs more. So, Pacheco will not be asked to carry the same workload, as Gibbs might even have room for a little more.
Still, Pacheco has not been able to hit 120 carries in either of his last two seasons, so it is not like he is a lock to step in and take on the Montgomery workload even if it was a touch smaller. Hopefully, Choice can bring out the best in him.
Isiah Pacheco Shares Honest Take on Lions Coach