The Detroit Lions will have a different backup running back than expected to start the 2026 season. Last week, the Lions placed Isiah Pacheco—their primary offseason signing at running back—on injured reserve with a back injury. That means he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season, and Detroit will have to rely on someone new at the running back position behind Jahmyr Gibbs.
As of now, the Lions roster only has two options behind Gibbs: 2024 fourth-round pick Sione Vaki and last year’s pickup from the UFL Jacob Saylors. Vaki has battled through injuries for much of his career, which has stunted his development a bit since moving from his college position of safety. Saylors only carried the ball for the Lions twice last year, but he took the majority of carries for the team in the preseason and was excellent. He finished the preseason with 187 rushing yards (second most in NFL) on just 31 carries, an average of 6.0 yards per carry.
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On Monday, Lions coach Dan Campbell was asked about Saylors and his rise from the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. Interestingly—and tellingly—most of Campbell’s answer surrounded about how excited he is to see Vaki play.
“It’s about committee, too,” Campbell said. “I see Vaki getting some reps, too, now. I don’t see, ‘Okay, Saylors is like running back two.’ Saylors brings special teams value and there’s things that he’s been able to do. We’ve seen more of him than Vaki in games, preseason games.
“But Vaki’s banked some pretty good reps in practice, and we know Vaki’s a very valuable special teams player, too. But we feel like Vaki’s ready to take some of this on, too, as a runner and as a pass protector and a receiver. So we feel good about either one of those guys in there when Jah [Gibbs] needs a breather.”
While you could certainly read that as the job will be split between Vaki and Saylors, that certainly seems to be more of an endorsement of Vaki in the primary backup role—especially considering the question asked was focused on Saylors.
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Vaki as the potential backup is a calculated risk. Early this offseason, Campbell admitted that he was still in the infancy of learning the position.
“The running back position is a little raw,” Campbell said during minicamp. “Yes, he has been in there, he did a little bit in college, this is year three, but he hasn’t played running back, not that much, and a lot of it is injury.”
Unfortunately, injuries got in the way again this training camp. Vaki missed well over a week with a broken nose and eye injury, and he didn’t get any play in the preseason, either. However, Vaki has gotten a lot of recent work in training camp, regularly repping immediately behind Gibbs while Pacheco has been out. He’s flashed his ability to catch the football, and his best early trait may be as a pass protector, which leans into the physicality that made him a good safety and special teamer.
Still, Vaki is entering Year 3 of his career with just seven career carries, three catches, and 27 total offensive snaps. Sunday against the New Orleans Saints could be his first significant action since Week 10 of 2024, when he logged 10 snaps against the Jaguars in a blowout win.
The Lions are confident he’ll be able to handle the role. Are you?
