Severe Setback Forces Lions RB Isiah Pacheco To Undergo Frightening Back Surgery – Here’s How Much Time He’ll Miss
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco is currently sidelined on injured reserve while dealing with multiple complex physical injuries.
Initially, the former Kansas City Chiefs star suffered a painful MCL sprain during training camp. Head coach Dan Campbell expected him to fully recover in time for the regular-season opener. However, Pacheco’s highly anticipated team debut was officially derailed after a new back injury flared up late in camp.
Consequently, the training staff determined that the dual ailments required an extended period of rest and immobilization. Now things have gotten even worse.
Isiah Pacheco Has Back Surgery and a 12-Week Clock
Pacheco underwent emergency back surgery on Monday and will now miss several weeks of action. Initially, the team hoped his placement on injured reserve would only sideline him for four games. However, head coach Dan Campbell provided a much more grim reality check during his afternoon press conference.
“It’s gonna be a while. I really can’t—it’ll be a significant amount of time,” Campbell admitted. Consequently, the devastating medical development leaves a massive void in Detroit’s physical rushing attack.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the procedure was performed to remove a body pressing on a nerve in the back. The specialist operation carries a strict 12-week recovery timeline. Fortunately, the medical team expects he has a legitimate chance to return to the active gridiron by early December.
What Will Detroit Do Without Him
The Detroit Lions must completely reshape their offensive strategy to handle a prolonged absence from running back Isiah Pacheco.
Meanwhile, starter Jahmyr Gibbs will continue to shoulder a vastly increased workload out of the backfield. Gibbs played beautifully on Sunday, turning 29 carries into 156 yards and two touchdowns. Moving forward, the front office may look to add external depth to better protect their dynamic, young superstar.
Fortunately, general manager Brad Holmes systematically built emergency fallback strategies into the active roster before the season began. “That’s our job up here, to make sure that we have succession plans,” Holmes explained regarding injuries.
Specifically, the team will look to elevate young, unproven internal backfield depth to help weather the storm. Dynamic runners like Jacob Saylors, Sione Vaki, and Jabari Small must quickly step up as primary backups.
