Isiah Pacheco Tears His MCL and the Lions Just Lost Their Center Too. Detroit’s Season Just Got Complicated.
The Detroit Lions had a nightmare afternoon on Monday. Running back Isiah Pacheco went down with a torn MCL. Center Cade Mays fractured his hand. Both injuries happened at the same practice, which is a special brand of bad luck.
The Lions are one of the AFC-caliber teams in the NFC and were expected to run it back after another strong season under Dan Campbell. Now they are opening camp with real questions at two positions they cannot afford to have questions at.
The Pacheco loss stings the most
Pacheco came over from Kansas City this offseason and was supposed to be the physical downhill complement to Jahmyr Gibbs. That is the kind of one-two backfield the Lions have loved under Ben Johnson, and now Campbell and new coordinator John Morton have to figure it out without half of it.
MCL tears are tricky. Depending on the grade, Pacheco could be out four to six weeks, or he could be out the year. The early reports indicate a middle-range tear, which typically means he misses the first six weeks of the season and comes back around midyear. That is best case. Worst case, he needs surgery and shuts it down.
Either way, the timing is brutal. This is a guy Detroit gave up meaningful compensation for in the offseason to fill a very specific role, and now they are pushing that role onto David Montgomery, who is 28 and coming off a knee injury of his own. Craig Reynolds is a warm body but not a difference maker.
Cade Mays might be the bigger long-term problem
Losing your starting center for even a few weeks is a big deal. Losing him during a period where the offensive line is trying to build chemistry with a new play caller is a bigger deal. Cade Mays was the guy the Lions had penciled in at center for the year, and now he is going to miss the first quarter of the season with a hand fracture.
Hand fractures on offensive linemen are tricky. You can play through them with a club or heavy tape, but centers have to snap the ball. That is a specific problem. Detroit is going to have to lean on backup Colby Sorsdal or bring in a veteran off the street.
Frank Ragnow was one of the best centers in football before he retired. The Lions have been trying to replace him ever since. Losing Mays before the season even starts pushes that problem back another year.
What Detroit does now
Brad Holmes is one of the best GMs in the league at building rosters, and he has some tools here. He could target a veteran running back on the market: Melvin Gordon and Kareem Hunt are the kinds of names that come up. He could sign a veteran center off the street or trade for one before final cuts on August 30.
The Lions have depth at most positions. That is why they have been competitive for three straight years. Depth is what separates contenders from pretenders, and this is exactly the kind of situation depth is supposed to protect against.
Still, both injuries at once is a punch to the gut. Pacheco was going to be an important piece of what Detroit wanted to do offensively. Mays was going to anchor the interior. Losing both in one afternoon is the kind of thing that changes a season.
The NFC is a bloodbath at the top. San Francisco, Philadelphia, Green Bay, and Minnesota are all threats. Detroit cannot afford to give up ground before Week 1. This is the kind of week where a GM earns his check. Watch what Holmes does in the next 10 days.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
