Lions Turn to Jacob Saylors After Pacheco Injury
Source: Yard Barker. Casualplayhub News adds summary, context, and editorial framing while linking back to the original report.
Ad eligibility review: sensitive-topic
The Detroit Lions are banking on a running back who was not even on the roster a year ago to provide crucial support for their star rusher. After placing Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve Tuesday with a back injury that will sideline him for at least four games, the Lions are turning to Jacob Saylors to spell Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, was signed this offseason to a one-year deal to replace David Montgomery, who was traded to the Houston Texans. Now, with Pacheco out, Saylors must step up. Saylors, 26, went undrafted in 2023 and has bounced around the league, spending time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants before landing on Detroit's practice squad in 2025. He played in 16 games last season, primarily on special teams, and carried the ball just twice for 11 yards. But his path to the NFL is unconventional: he earned All-UFL honors in 2024 while playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks, leading the league with 460 rushing yards in nine games. This preseason, Saylors turned heads. He rushed for 132 yards on 23 carries — a 5.7-yard average — and scored a touchdown. In the final preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, he ran for 100 yards on 17 carries in a 25-16 win. Lions head coach Dan Campbell expressed confidence in Saylors' grasp of the offense. "I just like the thought of having a guy in our system, think that's important," Campbell told the Detroit Free Press. "He knows our terminology, knows our guys, knows the protections. Just kind of it knows it all, man. Understands our quarterback Jared Goff and how he thinks. I just think that's important." The Lions do not need to worry about Gibbs, a three-time Pro Bowler who tied for 11th in the NFL with 243 carries last season. But finding a reliable backup is critical. Montgomery ranked second on the team with 158 carries in 2024, providing Gibbs with crucial rest. Saylors must now fill that role, at least until Pacheco returns. Detroit opens the regular season at home against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 13, at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.
Article commentary
The Lions' decision to elevate Jacob Saylors from the practice squad to a key rotational role highlights both the promise and peril of relying on undrafted free agents with UFL backgrounds. Saylors' preseason performance — 5.7 yards per carry and a touchdown — suggests he has the vision and explosiveness to contribute, but the regular season is a different animal. Defenses will be faster, game plans more complex, and the margin for error thinner. The Lions are betting that Saylors' familiarity with the system, as emphasized by Dan Campbell, will compensate for his lack of NFL experience. Campbell's praise for Saylors' understanding of protections and quarterback tendencies is telling: in a offense that relies on play-action and misdirection, a running back who can pick up blitzes and read defenses is invaluable. However, the sample size is small. Saylors' 11 rushing yards in 16 games last season hardly inspires confidence. The UFL is a developmental league, but the gap in competition is significant. Pacheco's injury exposes a deeper issue: the Lions' reliance on a single proven backup behind Gibbs. David Montgomery was a durable, punishing runner who thrived in short-yardage situations. Saylors, at 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds, is more of a shifty, one-cut back. He may not offer the same physicality. The Lions' schedule offers some relief. The New Orleans Saints, their Week 1 opponent, ranked 16th in run defense last season. But if Saylors falters, Detroit could be forced to overuse Gibbs, risking injury to their most valuable offensive weapon. The front office will likely monitor the waiver wire for veteran options, but for now, the spotlight is on an undrafted back from East Tennessee State who has already defied odds. His story is compelling, but the Lions need production, not sentiment. The next four games will define whether Saylors is a legitimate NFL contributor or a preseason flash in the pan.