The Detroit Lions needed to decide if they were going to keep running back David Montgomery around or not. Not too long ago, he requested a trade from Detroit. Montgomery was playing second-fiddle in the backfield to Jahmyr Gibbs.
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Detroit Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery sign autographs for Lions fans after the 38-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025.
Well, Adam Schefter of espn.com reported on Twitter on Monday, “Trade: Lions are sending RB David Montgomery to the Texans for a 5th-round pick, per sources.” The fact that Detroit is trading him away for basically nothing means that they probably wanted to trade him anyways. This is a big get for Houston. During the 2025 NFL season with the Lions, he rushed for 716 yards on 158 carries and eight touchdowns, along with averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Montgomery also caught 24 passes for 192 yards and zero touchdowns, along with averaging 8.0 yards per reception.
NFL Fans React To the Detroit Lions Trading RB David Montgomery To the Houston Texans
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Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) runs with the ball against Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
There are a lot of NFL fans who find the Lions trading away Montgomery to the Texans very interesting. This is what some fans had to say about this trade on Twitter:
Good trade on both parts.
Texans get their ball carrier that they have been looking for.
Lions get space for Gibbs to be highest paid.
Before the free agency. Now the Lions can try to replace the role of Montgomery in free agency, then draft, or see what’s in-house (Vaki).
— Ronnie McGill (@rmcgill25) March 2, 2026
Great pickup for houston. Gibbs carrying the workload is going to make him less explosive imo…. Bad trade on detroits part
— NFLBallKnower (@Subieroo_wrx) March 2, 2026
A 2027 5th for a 1,000-yard back on a $6M deal? Brad Holmes out here speedrunning cap gymnastics 😭
— Big RAW (@BigRaw252) March 2, 2026
David Montgomery to Houston for a fifth rounder is the steal of the offseason so far. The Lions just handed the Texans a physical, reliable, postseason proven running back for essentially nothing and Detroit will feel this absence the moment the weather gets cold and the games…
— GREENCODE (@greencode12) March 2, 2026
Wow, tough loss for the Lions—Montgomery’s been a beast in that backfield tandem with Gibbs. Texans getting a reliable RB to bolster their run game alongside Mixon. Smart pickup for a 5th-rounder!
— Sanjay Verma (@svvermaofficial) March 2, 2026
This will help the Texans offense next season. Montgomery is only 28 years old. Detroit losses a reliable backup running back for Gibbs, but Gibbs is a three-down back and Montgomery wanted to play more. This will work out for Houston. As for the Lions, they need to find some insurance in the backfield this offseason.
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