Pacheco reportedly signs with Lions
Mike Florio and Chris Simms react to former Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Detroit Lions, analyzing how he could support Jahmyr Gibbs.
Video Transcript
Pft Live, Wednesday edition.
So Travis Kelce back with the Chiefs for another year.
A couple of players from the Chiefs moving on.
We knew Isiah Pacheco wasn't gonna be back.
Once they signed Kenneth Walker III, Pacheco is gonna go elsewhere.
And this is one of the things that I watch when these deals are announced, when they are leaked to not even leaked to, they're flat out told to somebody who puts it on Twitter and showcases the name of the agent.
When Isiah Pacheco's information came out yesterday that he was signing with the Lions, there was no mention of length of deal or terms.
That's the first red flag, and it came out last night via NFL Network, one year, 1.81 million for Pacheco in Detroit.
And, you know, it's funny because, like, when the news first hit, I saw some reaction along the lines of, like, is Pacheco the new Knuckles?
Is, is he gonna carve into Jahmyr Gibbs?
Where it's like, no.
The, the, the trade of David Montgomery and the addition of Isiah Pacheco at a bargain basement contract is a clear sign it's the Sonic show now, as it should be.
This isn't two guys.
This is one guy and a backup.
Yeah.
For 1.81 million, Isiah Pacheco is the backup to Jahmyr Gibbs.
And look, if he's healthy, hey, he I, I, I love his, I love his style.
I love the anger with which he runs, the physicality, but this move from David Montgomery to Isiah Pacheco, and what they would've paid Montgomery and what they're paying Pacheco, Chris, it is a clear sign to me that it's gonna be Jahmyr Gibbs.
That he's gonna be the Barry Sanders, the Billy Sims.
He's gonna be the guy in the Lions backfield.
Yeah.
There, there's no doubt.
They, they were telling us that last year.
we, we got that sense.
And, and yeah, they're the- b- gonna pay Jahmyr Gibbs, and then they're just gonna start to get their money's worth out of him.
They're gonna make him the guy, feed him the ball all the time.
And Pacheco, he's gotta kind of, you know, r- r- reestablish his aura in the NFL.
he had that lower leg injury and has not really looked the same ever since.
And then he's a car crash runner on top of that.
So that's where hopefully he can go here and kinda rehabilitate, you know, what or how he was viewed around the NFL, and then maybe get another chance to get some more money when the year's over.
But yeah, tr- clearly the Jahmyr Gibbs show.
And then on top of that, the damn Kansas City Chiefs, holy cow, on defense are they gonna look like a different football team with Leo Chenal going to the Commanders?
Yeah, he's going to the Commanders.
They've had multiple defensive backs go to other teams.
It really is crazy.
Chenal goes to the Commanders on a three-year, $24.75 million deal.
He was number 20 on the PFT Top 100 free agent list- He's a good player compiled very diligently by Sherri Noah.
No, no Trent McDuffie, no Jalen Watson.
I mean, they're, they're the new starting corners for the Rams.
Brian Co- Cook, their, their, their defensive back, or the safety out of Cincinnati, he's gone.
So they got a totally different look on that side of the ball.
It's, it's, it's interesting the approach from the Kansas City Chiefs right now.
And look, back to the Lions and Gibbs.
Yeah.
I think we had made this point, that when it's time to renegotiate, they're gonna have to pay him.
And if you're Gibbs' agents, your point is this: You got a Ferrari.
It's up to you to decide whether or not you're gonna drive it, but y- you, you, you, you, once you buy the Ferrari, you're paying for the Ferrari.
And if you wanna leave it in the garage while you drive your other car around, that's fine.
So I think the Lions recognize, they're, they're gonna be paying this guy a lot of money, and he is gonna be the centerpiece of that offense, as he should be.
He did what he did last year, 1,800-plus yards from scrimmage, with 67% playing time.
Christian McCaffrey had 83% playing time last year.
So And, and his first two years, I looked it up last night, it was like 56, 57% playing time for Jahmyr Gibbs.
You need him on the field more.
You need the ball in his hands when he's on the field because he can do special things.
And I know you don't wanna get him injured, but he's Even though he is not big, he's You, you gotta catch him before you can injure him.
Like, once he's gone, he is gon-
