The Lions traded David Montgomery to the Texans for a crazy haul, what they save on the salary cap and their likely next move
The Sonic and Knuckles era is over
And there it is. The Sonic and Knuckles era is over for the Detroit Lions. They have traded David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for a fourth-round pick, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Update: The seventh-round pick will be in the 2027 NFL Draft. Not 2026.
There’s been a lot of speculation about this whole thing since the season started. Not long ago, Brad Holmes talked about the possibility of trading him, and then at the Pro Bowl, Jahmyr Gibbs said it was all essentially up to Montgomery. Montgomery certainly talked like a guy who is staying. Then Drew Petzing’s comments alluded to the idea that he’d like to have Montgomery and Gibbs together. Then Brad Holmes’ comments at the Combine did not seem very good. Then, ESPN wrote on Sunday that Montgomery wanted out, and he challenged that, but never said he wanted to stay.
Now it’s over, and there’s no disputing it anymore. Montgomery is a Texan and the Lions have to figure out what their next move is. The logic points to Sione Vaki taking over since the Lions drafted him with the intention of being a running back for them. Jacob Saylors is another option. But they may look to find someone in the draft.
We know that the Lions met with multiple running backs at the NFL Combine. Penn State RB Kaytron Allen’s pro comparison is none other than Montgomery. Don’t be shocked to see the Lions look at him.
In terms of what the Lions save on the salary cap, they save $3.5 million in this trade. That’s not a ton, but it’s a start right before free agency.
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