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:
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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.
GM Brad Holmes Indicated He’d Be Open To Keeping Montgomery Before The Trade
Just days ago, Lions general manager Brad Holmes was asked about Montgomery’s status with the club moving forward, and while he called it a “fluid” situation, he acknowledged that his preference would be to keep him.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes said. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
“With his agent? Those are conversations that I keep in house,” Holmes said. “But I will say that I have had healthy dialogue with David at the end of the year, and healthy dialogue with his agent.”
Now-Former Lions RB David Montgomery Bids Goodbye To Detroit