NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
David Montgomery might not want out of Detroit, but the Lions did on Monday in a deal with the Houston Texans.
The Lions are trading the veteran running back to the Texans in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick, a 2027 seventh-round pick and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, according to multiple reports.
This comes just hours after Montgomery responded to an ESPN report that said he “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons with the franchise.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions looks on prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field on December 4, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“Damn it, [D-Mo] have you told?” Montgomery wrote Sunday after the report came out, saying the Lions wanted a “decent Day 3 pick” in return for him.
Ultimately, though, a decent Day 3 pick is what the Lions got in return, and then some from the Texans, a team that looked to shore up its running game this offseason after a down year following the injury to Joe Mixon before the 2025 season even began.
Mixon will most likely be released after a foot injury kept him out all of last season. Now, Montgomery and promising rookie Woody Marks are expected to share the backfield, though the former may see an elevated role compared to what happened in Detroit.
Montgomery loved being part of one of the most dynamic running back duos in the league, but his other half, Jahmyr Gibbs, was slowly getting more of the workload. The explosive Alabama product is one of the best at his position in the NFL, and Montgomery was mainly used in short-yardage situations or to spell Gibbs in 2025.
David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium on December 25, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Affectionately known as “Sonic and Knuckles,” the duo will no longer share the same backfield, and “Sonic” was upset after posting a photo of the video game characters.
Gibbs has taken off since entering the NFL as the Lions’ first-round pick in 2023. He broke out with 1,412 rushing yards and an NFL-leading 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024. He followed that up with 1,223 yards and 13 career rushing scores and 6 more yards and 6 more yards. scoring through the air in 2025.
Montgomery had 716 rushing yards with eight rushing scores while hauling in 24 of Jared Goff’s pass attempts for 192 yards. He amassed 2,506 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns across his three seasons with the franchise.
David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field on December 4, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Montgomery, who was a third-round pick by the Chicago Bears before landing with the Lions in 2023, is under contract through the 2027 season.
Related article
