David Montgomery, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions
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David Montgomery #5 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field on October 08, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Entering the 2026 NFL offseason, the Washington Commanders are going to be a team worth watching closely.
After making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game during the 2024 season, the Commanders fell back to earth in 2025. They finished the season with a 5-12 record and missed the playoffs.
Injuries played a tough role for Washington last year. Jayden Daniels missed plenty of time due to multiple injuries and there were many other key players missed games as well. The Commanders were unable to overcome those injuries.
Heading into the offseason, one potential need for Washington will be finding help at the running back position.
With that in mind, the Commanders have emerged as a potential contender to pull off an $18 million trade to improve their running back situation.
Washington Commanders Linked to $18 Million Trade Option
Teddy Ricketson of The Sporting News has suggested that Washington is one of the top trade fits for Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery.
“Jacory ‘Bill’ Croskey-Merritt was the star of the preseason, and even though he was a seventh-round pick, many had high expectations for him,” Ricketson wrote.
“He ended up being good, but not great, which was fine for a lost 2025. To help him develop and to give the Commanders more depth at the position, Washington could make a move and trade for Montgomery.”
Montgomery would instantly upgrade the Commanders’ offense. He would help take pressure off of Daniels and the passing game and would form an excellent two-back backfield with Croskey-Merritt.
What Would David Montgomery Bring to the Commanders?
Throughout the course of the 2025 NFL season with the Lions, Montgomery played in all 17 regular season games. He carried the football 158 times for 716 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Montgomery also caught 24 passes for 192 yards.
At 28 years old, Montgomery could also end up being a long-term fit for Washington.
If the Commanders are interested in Montgomery, they’ll have to be aggressive. Other teams around the league would love to acquire a running back like him and there is also no guarantee that Detroit is going to be motivated to move on from him.
Ricketson named a few teams who could be competition to acquire Montgomery. Among those teams were the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings.
Only time will tell whether or not Washington will have interest in trading for Montgomery. The move would make a lot of sense and the Commanders should do everything in their power to build out more talent around Daniels to improve the offense.