For the first time in a few years, Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions offense got a significant shake-up,
Running back David Montgomery was traded to the Houston Texans, per Adam Schefter, in exchange for a fourth-round pick, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and a seventh-round pick.
Montgomery had been a member of Detroit's backfield since 2023 alongside Jahmyr Gibbs, two foundational pieces to a Lions offense that has also kept Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta as its key pieces. Now, Campbell's unit is set to look a bit different in 2026.
Here's how the Montgomery trade impacts Gibbs and the Lions' offense moving forward.
MORE:Full details as Texans acquire David Montgomery from Lions
How David Montgomery trade impacts Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions offense
Since Jahmyr Gibbs was selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he's been one-half of one of the premiere NFL rushing duos alongside Montgomery. Gibbs has always been the "1A" running back for the Lions, putting up massive numbers as one of the best weapons in the league, but with Montgomery also being effective, Gibbs has also never been given full reigns to be a potential three-down back.
That could be changing in 2026. Gibbs was already one of the most utilized running backs in the league in 2024 and 2025 -- he had 250 carries and 52 receptions in 2024, then 243 carries and 77 receptions in 2025 -- but without Montgomery to eat into his workload, you can expect Gibbs to become even more of a focal point of Detroit's offense.
In past years, Gibbs was the home-run threat and versatile receiving back for Detroit, while Montgomery was the up-the-middle bruiser and red-zone threat. Now, all of a sudden, Montgomery's 158 carries in the 2025 season are up for grabs. It's unlikely Gibbs takes on a historic-level workload, but he should be considered a full three-down weapon for Detroit, for the time being.
The other possibility is that the Lions are simply looking to upgrade Montgomery's RB2 role with a younger, cheaper option in the draft. If Detroit selects a running back in the first few rounds, that player is likely to see a strong workload behind Gibbs in 2026 — Monday's trade left the Lions' backfield fairly thin behind their star.
As for the rest of Campbell's offense, don't expect too much to change. As long as Gibbs is around, the Lions should rank among the top NFL teams in rushing categories, and the other key members of the offense, including Goff, St. Brown and LaPorta, will be back in 2026.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero wrote Monday that Scruggs, the offensive lineman Detroit acquired in the Montgomery deal, will help Campbell's goal of the Lions getting "back to playing their brand of football" and "reestablishing a dominant O-line."
Dan Campbell wants the Lions to get back to playing their brand of football, and that starts with reestablishing a dominant O-line.
From the https://t.co/uI2glnokIS pre-draft scouting report on Juice Scruggs: “He plays like a block of granite…”
That fits. pic.twitter.com/r4UicxDl6S
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 2, 2026
Overall, Monday's trade was primarily about Detroit moving on from Montgomery, who was becoming slightly less effective at age 28, to prioritize financial flexibility, Gibbs' growth and a potential new addition in the backfield. The Lions' main offensive philosophies won't be changing despite no longer having their "Sonic and Knuckles" duo, although they appear to be investing more in their offensive line moving forward.
MORE: 2026 NFL Combine winners and losers
Lions RB depth chart
Rank Player
1 Jahmyr Gibbs
2 Sione Vaki
3 Jacob Saylors
4 Jabari Small
The Lions can be expected to add to their backfield depth in some fashion this offseason. As things stand, they do not have a proven NFL option behind Gibbs.
If Detroit does stand pat, it's likely because it has high hopes for 2024 fourth-rounder Sione Vaki. He hasn't yet seen a path to heavy snaps because of the dominance of the Gibbs-Montgomery duo, but Vaki has been on the Lions' depth chart for two seasons after coming out of Utah in 2024. He has just seven career carries in 27 games.
2025 undrafted free agents Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small are the only other running backs the Lions have around. Saylors had two carries for 11 yards last season, while Small did not see any playing time.
MORE NFL COMBINE:
Lions offensive free agents
For the most part, the Lions do not have any key offensive free agents this offseason. Their most important players on that side of the ball are under contract — defensively, their priorities will include names like D.J. Reader, Alex Anzalone, Marcus Davenport, Rock Ya-Sin and Malcolm Rodriguez.
Here is the list of Lions offensive players about to become a free agent, per Over the Cap.
Kalif Raymond, WR
Kayode Awosika, RT
Kyle Allen, QB
Trystan Colon, C
Anthony Firkser, TE
Dan Skipper, LT
Tom Kennedy, WR
Shane Zylstra, TE
Jamarco Jones, LT
What's next for the Lions?
With Montgomery gone, the Lions will next be shifting their focus to free agency, where they have now become a likely landing spot for a cheap, veteran running back who can bring Jahmyr Gibbs some relief in 2026. Detroit is unlikely to pursue a top-of-class name like Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne or Breece Hall, but a backup option would make sense.
Here are some free-agent running backs who could be fits to fill Montgomery's void:
Outside of the running back position, Campbell will likely be prioritizing the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Lions could use an offensive tackle, and they could also pursue edge rushers to help out Aidan Hutchinson.
However, Detroit also isn't in a position to be a major free-agency player this offseason. According to Over the Cap, the Lions are around $9.5 million over the salary cap right now, meaning they'll have to cut more costs.
The draft will likely be more of a focus for Detroit, where it can add young, cheaper talent. In his most recent mock draft, The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer projected the Lions to use their No. 17 overall pick on Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell.
MORE:The Sporting News' latest first-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft