David Montgomery
Getty
David Montgomery has officially bid goodbye to the Lions.
The David Montgomery era with the Detroit Lions has officially come to a close, as he was traded on Monday by general manager Brad Holmes to the Houston Texans.
In return, the Lions received Houston’s 2026 fourth-round pick, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and a seventh-round pick. However, the trade won’t become official until the NFL’s new year begins on March 11.
Montgomery has posted a farewell message to the city of Detroit and the fans who cheered him on via his official Instagram account, thanking the fans for their belief and praising them for the trademark resiliency that matches the hustle of the Motor City.
“It’s hard to find the right words for a goodbye like this,” Montgomery said Monday, via Instagram. “Detroit has never just been a location to me — it’s been a community. And you all have been more than supporters or a team. You’ve been steady hands, loud cheers, honest feedback, and quiet strength when I needed it most. You believed in me when things were uncertain. You stood beside me through challenges. You showed up — consistently, fiercely, unapologetically.
“There is something special about the people here. The resilience. The loyalty. The way you don’t just support someone — you ride with them. I have felt that from each of you, and I will never take that lightly. This isn’t goodbye because something ended. It’s goodbye because something grew. And growth sometimes calls us forward.”
He concluded:
“Please know this: Everything I do next carries a piece of Detroit with it. The work ethic. The edge. The heart. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for walking this chapter with me. I’m beyond grateful — and I’ll always be proud to say I was shaped by this city and by you.”
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Former Detroit Lions RB David Montgomery Signed With The Lions In 2023
Montgomery initially began his career in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears, who selected him in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Iowa State.
In his final season with the Lions, Montgomery amassed 716 yards rushing with eight touchdowns on the ground, while also racking up 192 yards on 24 receptions.