David Montgomery
If you were tracking the David Montgomery to Denver Broncos chatter this offseason, here’s the bottom line: it’s over. The Detroit Lions are sending Montgomery to the Houston Texans, according to multiple reports Monday, March 2,including NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
And at least one plugged-in Denver voice has already put it plainly. Broncos columnist Troy Renck posted: “Montgomery will not be a Bronco.”
Why today? Because this trade lands right in the middle of roster-building season, with Denver’s backfield plan still in flux, and Montgomery was the type of “reliable veteran” name that naturally fit the Broncos’ wish list.
Key Points
Montgomery is headed to Houston, not Denver, after the Lions-Texans deal was reported March 2.
The reported trade package (per local and team outlets) is the kind of price Denver could’ve matched—but didn’t.
Denver now has to pivot to other Broncos running back options with free agency and the draft approaching.
MileHighReport
Texans gave up a good bit for Montgomery. I liked the option, but glad the Broncos didn’t give up that much.
Kenneth Walker, Tyler Allgeier, JK Dobbins, and others remain available in free agency and you still have the draft.
David Montgomery Trade: What Texans trade means for Denver
The Texans didn’t just add a runner; they likely removed Montgomery from the realistic “trade target” board for everyone else, including Denver.
Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan M. Alexander reported the Texans sent center Juice Scruggs plus a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick to Detroit. Pride of Detroit echoed that framework while crediting Pelissero’s report.
That’s the “bad news” piece for the Broncos: this wasn’t a fantasy price tag. It was a real, mid-round-plus-player package that a running back-needy team could justify. The Texans did it first.
Photo suggestion: Montgomery in a Lions uniform (action shot), paired with a Texans helmet graphic in the caption to reinforce the “door closed” angle.
Contract/cap reality: why Montgomery was a clean fit (and why he’s gone)
Montgomery’s deal is part of why his name kept popping up in rumors.Over The Cap lists him as having signed a two-year, $18.25 million extension with guarantees built in.Spotrac shows a 2026 salary and cap-hit structure that’s very much “veteran starter money,” not top-of-market.
Translation: if you’re Denver, you’re not “buying a superstar,” you’re buying known NFL competence, the kind of back who can stabilize early downs, hold up in pass pro, and keep an offense on schedule (especially if you’re trying to avoid putting everything on your QB).
Now that Houston has him, Denver can stop spending oxygen on the David Montgomery Broncos idea, and move to Plan B – which as MileHighReport tweeted, could be Kenneth Walker, Tyler Allgeier or even another round of J.K. Dobbins.
So what do the Broncos do at RB now?
There’s room for another meaningful runner in Denver.
Dobbins carried a lot of the load in the regular season, but an injury kept him out of the Broncos’ most important games, and put a larger burden on the speedier Harvey. Adding another veteran running back would be a wise move for Denver.
That makes the “Montgomery type” miss sting a little more: he was a clean “add him and you feel better” solution.
Real fan reaction
Here’s a snapshot of how Broncos fans were already debating it before the trade: