As part of his offseason work, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes dealt veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in exchange for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
It brought an end to Montgomery’s time with the Lions after he saw a reduction in his workload behind Jahmyr Gibbs, whom Detroit is going to be heavily relying upon moving forward as they look to return to the NFL postseason.
And while Montgomery is now with the Texans and looking forward to a fresh opportunity with more touches, he still admitted that being traded away from the Lions was rough at first.
Former Detroit Lions RB David Montgomery Says He Was “Sick” Over Being Dealt To Texans
While making a recent appearance on the Deebo and Joe podcast with former NFL stars James Harrison and Joe Haden, the former Lions running back admitted that it was tough to be dealt from Detroit, while also praising head coach Dan Campbell.
“Honestly, when I was in Detroit, I thought I was going to be there for the rest of my career,” Montgomery admitted. “I love the city of Detroit. They showed me an immense amount of love. Coach Campbell, a dope coach.”
“But when you get a little older playing the game, at a professional level, and you start to kind of see how things unfold, you gotta get met with, like, a tough decision. And I was met with that. And it was inevitable that it was happening.”
Meanwhile, he wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t up to him how often he received the ball as part of Detroit’s offensive attack, but emphasized that he’s excited for the chance in Houston.
“And when it came, like, I was sick. I was sad that I had to leave,” Montgomery said. “But it’s the business part of it. I wish them nothing but respect. And I hope that whatever it is they’re trying to do, we get to see them at some point and it’ll be a fun matchup. But I’m always going to have love for Detroit. That’s always going to be home for me and I’m always going to love that city, but I’m in Houston now. I’m in the H, so it’s time to go.”
Brad Holmes Discussed The Trade Of Running Back David Montgomery
The Lions had every intention to trade Montgomery, especially given his reduced workload behind Gibbs.
“It was evident that there were less touches that he had,” Holmes said of the trade during an appearance on the Lions Collective podcast in March. “And look, a lot of it was not just him. It’s how Jahmyr had ascended. Me and David’s agent — and David — we all had really healthy dialogue, and we just thought it was best for all parties. It was right after the end of the season that (we decided), let’s just see if we can get the proper return.”
However, Holmes made sure to clarify that they weren’t just going to give him away.
“I told his agent, like, ‘Look, this guy’s a good player, man. We’re not just giving him away.’ So we were happy with the return that we got,” Holmes said. “I’m happy for David. I think he’s in a good spot.”
David Montgomery Holds Nothing Back On Lions Departure