{"id":921210,"date":"2026-06-17T09:30:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T09:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/921210\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T09:30:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T09:30:18","slug":"pacheco-embraces-new-role-with-detroit-lions-teslaa-clark-focus-on-growth-during-offseason-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/921210\/","title":{"rendered":"Pacheco embraces new role with Detroit Lions, TeSlaa, Clark focus on growth during offseason work"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALLEN PARK, Mich. \u2013 New Detroit Lions<\/a> running back Isiah Pacheco<\/a> knows success in the NFL comes down to the details.<\/p>\n

The veteran running back, entering a new chapter in Detroit after building a championship r\u00e9sum\u00e9 with the Kansas City Chiefs, said his focus has been on learning the offense, correcting mistakes, and finding ways to contribute wherever needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cPinpointing the details in the work and coming out here and executing at a high level, but most importantly, not making the same mistake twice,\u201d said Pacheco. \u201cComing out and being better from that mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pacheco said he has embraced the culture he found in Detroit, pointing to the team\u2019s competitive mindset during offseason workouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey got their own culture here, and I love being a part of it so far since I got here,\u201d Pacheco said. \u201cIt\u2019s the grit. You got guys willing to compete every single time we get a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitting into a new system<\/p>\n

The transition has meant adjusting to a new offensive system and a different role. <\/p>\n

With the Lions\u2019 backfield featuring established starter Jahmyr Gibbs<\/a>, Pacheco said his approach remains simple: stay prepared and help the team however possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis game here, it takes a lot of us to win the game and not just one person,\u201d Pacheco said. \u201cEverybody on the team, the staff, the coaches, nutritionists, everybody plays a part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pacheco credited running backs coach Tashard Choice<\/a> for helping him understand the importance of preparation and said he has also learned from teammates about competing and improving daily.<\/p>\n

He also emphasized the value of mental repetitions when players are not taking every snap.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone\u2019s in, you got to watch them, get that mental rep,\u201d Pacheco said. \u201cSo when you\u2019re up and then ready to go, you got to compete at a high level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pacheco is also continuing work at return positions, saying his goal is to be available in any role that helps the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust doing whatever I could do to help the team win,\u201d Pacheco said.<\/p>\n

TeSlaa ready to play faster in year two<\/p>\n

Second-year wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa<\/a> said his biggest advantage entering his sophomore season is comfort.<\/p>\n

After spending his rookie year learning the offense and adjusting to the speed of the NFL, TeSlaa said he feels more prepared to play faster and think less.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think in football you can ever really relax because you got to have an edge about you,\u201d said TeSlaa. \u201cBut just being so much more comfortable. I feel like I\u2019m able to play a little bit faster, doing a lot less thinking this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

TeSlaa said the Lions have spent more time mastering fundamentals this offseason rather than loading players down with new concepts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like we\u2019re trying to nail the basics before we start adding on stuff,\u201d TeSlaa said. \u201cWe\u2019ve done a good job mastering the basic things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weapons create mismatches across the board<\/p>\n

TeSlaa\u2019s role expanded late last season, and he said he is excited about the possibilities within an offense featuring multiple playmakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the weapons that we have, I don\u2019t know how you\u2019re going to guard all of our skill positions,\u201d TeSlaa said. \u201cIf you want to try to double a guy, then you\u2019re just leaving another extremely skilled person wide open.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Michigan native said his personal goals for the season remain private but acknowledged they are higher than at the start of his rookie year.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year I came in not really knowing what to expect,\u201d TeSlaa said. \u201cThis year, now that I feel like I\u2019ve gotten a little more comfortable, I have some pretty lofty goals for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark focused on communication, turnovers<\/p>\n

Safety Chuck Clark<\/a> has embraced his opportunity with Detroit, focusing on communication and leadership within the defense.<\/p>\n

Clark said he does not view stepping into a larger role as a source of pressure, but rather as part of the preparation required at every level of the NFL.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s football,\u201d said Clark. \u201cYou just always got to be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark pointed to his own career path as an example of how quickly opportunities can develop in the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t a starter, but in a matter of a week, I became a starter, a green dot player, captain of a defense,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n

Building chemistry in the secondary<\/p>\n

A major focus for Clark has been building chemistry with teammates. He said defensive backs recently spent time together watching film and discussing tendencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually good hearing another person\u2019s perspective and how he watches film as opposed to how you watch film,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n

Clark said creating turnovers remains a top priority for the defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get the ball back to the offense so they can go put up points, and we do it again,\u201d Clark said. \u201cThat\u2019s the name of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The veteran safety said his physical style of play comes from a willingness to sacrifice for the team, but acknowledged that maintaining longevity requires consistent preparation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not one specific thing,\u201d Clark said. \u201cIt\u2019s an accumulation of things, taking care of your body, recovery, stretching, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

As offseason work continues, the Lions\u2019 newcomers and returning players remain focused on the same goal: building habits that carry into the regular season.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet fast, physical, and continue to build off of this camp,\u201d Pacheco said. \u201cCome back in shape. Ready to roll.\u201d<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ALLEN PARK, Mich. \u2013 New Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco knows success in the NFL comes down…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":921211,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[9036,146,113,2506,7,842,3188,1674,147,6,14988],"class_list":["post-921210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-detroit-lions","tag-chuck-clark","tag-detroit","tag-detroit-lions","tag-detroitlions","tag-football","tag-isaac-teslaa","tag-isiah-pacheco","tag-jahmyr-gibbs","tag-lions","tag-nfl","tag-tashard-choice"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116764752194829954","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=921210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921210\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/921211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=921210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=921210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=921210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}