David Montgomery wants to leave the Detroit Lions. Unless he doesn’t.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano shared a collection of reports and buzz out of Indianapolis this weekend during the NFL Combine. One of those reports was that Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit.
“…At running back, the Lions’ David Montgomery wants out, has a reasonable contract (owed $6 million in 2026) and is 28,” they wrote. “That has value. Word out of Indy is that Detroit would want a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder) in return. Seattle makes sense here if it can’t re-sign Kenneth Walker III.”
That bit of information was aggregated and shared on X by the Underdog NFL account, and Montgomery responded to that with a question of his own.
Damn, Dmo told you that ? https://t.co/ttg4DY6H99
— David Montgomery (@MontgomerDavid) March 1, 2026
“Damn, Dmo told you that?” he wrote.
Just to drive home how notable his response is, that’s Montgomery’s first post on the platform since March 2024.
The 28-year-old garnered 716 yards and eight touchdowns for the Lions last season, forming a solid tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs dubbed “Sonic and Knuckles.” However, as Gibbs became the breakout star this season, Montgomery’s role was diminished somewhat, leading to speculation that he might want to move on.
Now, while Montgomery made a statement by responding to the report, he didn’t deny that it might happen. You could read that this was his way of saying a trade demand isn’t coming from him, but he didn’t close the door on it happening by any means.
According to Over The Cap, trading Montgomery would open up $3.5 million in cap space for the Lions, who are currently a little more than $12 million over. However, Detroit would have to eat $4.8 million in dead money if it moves Montgomery before June 1.