The injury woes from last season are becoming a concern yet again for the Detroit Lions this season, even when Week 1 is still four weeks away. Since the start of training camp, the Honolulu Blues have suffered several injury setbacks in different positions, prompting Campbell to find immediate replacements.
On August 10, Dan Campbell addressed the press, where he gave two more injury updates. The backup running back Isiah Pacheco is set to miss time in training camp after spraining his MCL. On the other hand, the veteran cornerback D.J Reed is also sidelined for training camp because of a groin issue. He has already missed some practices, but it is not likely to keep him out for a very long time.
“It will be a little bit. He has got an MCL sprain,” coach Campbell said. But we feel good about that. We feel pretty good about him being ready to go, certainly when the season gets here. So I am not concerned about that.”
Isiah Pacheco and D.J Reed Missed Games Last Season Due To Injuries
Meanwhile, the MCL sprain isn’t something new the Lions RB is dealing with. During his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, he suffered a similar injury last campaign, which sidelined him for four weeks in the middle of the season.
Moreover, in the 2024 season, he had a fractured fibula in Week 2, forcing him to be in one Injury Reserve list, as he missed 10 games.
While the running back has been injury-prone in recent years, Campbell is relieved that he is expected to be back before the first snap of the season, and it’s nothing serious. Pacheco is the primary backup running back for Jahmyr Gibbs, who is the starter and the highest-paid running back in the league today.
Getty Isiah Pacheco.
D.J. Reed, who is a cornerstone of the cornerback room, is dealing with a minor groin injury. As it is reportedly a soft tissue issue, he should be ready with the pads when Week 1 arrives. For his recovery, he has missed the past few days in the Lions’ training camp.
The veteran CB, who signed a $48 million contract last season, played 11 games for the Lions and dealt with injury, missing 6 games, which affected the overall performance of the defense. In 2025, he had a severe hamstring injury, which sidelined him for 6 games. However, when he returned to the gridiron, his production and explosiveness dropped. Coach Campbell would hope he can return without missing a beat in his production.
These injury setbacks are comparatively minor considering both players could be back before Week1. However, a major injury also came up in the latest update.
Lions Suffer a Bigger Blow With Starter Cade Mays Injury
Coach Dan Campbell updated that the starting center Cade Mays recently suffered a fracture in his wrist during training camp. As a result, he is set to miss around 8-10 weeks, meaning it’s a big setback.
The center will miss the preseason game alongside the first half of the regular season. The 26-year-old was one of the biggest signings this offseason, as the Lions brought the former Carolina Panthers star on a three-year contract, paying $25 million. As a starter, he was set to replace Graham Glasgow.
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