It was understandable why running back David Montgomery wanted out of Detroit, even if that meant leaving one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Montgomery’s role within that prolific offense had been steadily diminishing with young star Jahmyr Gibbs warranting more and more of the Lions’ backfield share.
It was also understandable why the Lions were thus willing to trade the dependable veteran running back in exchange for 2026 fourth- and 2027 seventh-round draft picks and underwhelming offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, as reported by ESPN. (The trade can’t become official until March 11.)
Montgomery is entering the first year of a two-year, $18.25-million extension, and in addition to the added draft capital the team can effectively replace him as the secondary option in the backfield with a cheaper veteran.
And to round it all out, it’s also perfectly sensible why the Texans would make this move as well.
They’ve been linked as a landing spot for expensive free agent running backs while needing to bring in some help and reinforcement around young back Woody Marks.
Acquiring Montgomery is cheaper than splurging on one of the top established free agent backs like Kenneth Walker III (with expectations that fellow free agent Breece Hall will remain with the Jets). The former Lions rusher is also a safer backfield pairing to Marks than what the Texans could have gotten with that fourth-round draft pick, thus allowing them to focus on other needs both in the draft and in free agency.
So this trade is a true win-win-win for all parties.
Lions Emerge As Top Winner In Trade That sends David Montgomery To Houston
To rank it, though, we’d say the biggest winner is the Lions.
That sounds like a harsh commentary on Montgomery, but it’s not meant to be. He was a fan favorite in Detroit and, really, an ideal pairing with Gibbs in the Lions’ “Sonic and Knuckles” one-two punch.
It’s really just about the bottom line and realities.
Montgomery was actually a pretty mediocre running back his first four NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears, averaging 3.7, 4.3, 3.8 and 4.0 yards per carry those years with one 1,000-yard rushing season (1,070 during his second year in the league in 2020). Albeit, he was also a solid pass-catching RB with a career-high 54 catches for 438 yards in 2020.
But Montgomery benefitted greatly from the move to Detroit, enjoying arguably his best NFL season in his first year with the Lions, rushing for 1,015 yards on a career-best 4.6 YPC with 13 touchdowns. Gibbs was just a rookie then.
As Gibbs emerged as one of the most dynamic talents in the league, Montgomery seemed perfectly suited for his complementary role. He totaled 775 rushing yards and 12 TDs plus 341 receiving yards in 2024 and then 716 yards and 8 TDs on a career-low 158 carries but with a 4.5 YPC clip — his second-best for a season.
Turning 29 years old this summer, the former third-round pick out of Iowa State wants a bigger role and to reestablish himself as a lead back. And he should indeed find a larger workload in Houston, where Marks averaged just 3.6 YPC with 703 rushing yards, 208 receiving yards and 5 TDs as a rookie.
But this could be a classic case of “be careful what you wish for” for Montgomery.
Montgomery’s Future With The Texans
PFF ranked the Texans’ offensive line 27th out of 32 teams in 2025, and it’s far more likely we see the more plodding Bears version of David Montgomery than the one season he excelled while leading the Lions in carries in a highly conducive situation for success.
The Texans still needed to upgrade their running back unit and preferably with a dependable veteran after an underwhelming season from Nick Chubb, who is now a free agent, and with Joe Mixon missing all of last season due to injury and expected to be released.
Montgomery checks that box on a fairly reasonable contract when paired with Marks’ cheap rookie deal ($5.2 million over four years) as a fourth-round pick.
So to recap …
Detroit saves useful cap money at a position it can afford to invest more cheaply in with Gibbs already ranking 11th in the league last season in carries (243) — and with a likelihood of taking on even more of the workload moving forward. The Lions also pick up a fourth-round draft pick this year, a seventh next year and a backup offensive lineman for depth purposes, collecting some assets in the process of saving money.
Houston addresses one of its pressing needs in a relatively cost-effective way.
And Montgomery gets what he wants most — a good chance at a larger role in the offense now with the Texans.
We’ll see how those last two parts work out, but at the very least it makes enough sense on paper all around.
