It goes without saying that the Detroit Lions roster that hits the field in the fall is going to look different than the roster that walked off the field in Chicago after closing out the 2025 regular season with a victory over Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
Right now, the Lions are projected to be nearly $10 million over the salary cap, meaning it will be up to general manager Brad Holmes to come up with a few cost-cutting measures to ensure that his team is compliant.
One of Detroit’s top offensive tandems is the combination of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, a duo given the affectionate nickname of “Sonic and Knuckles”. They became the first teammates in NFL history to register at least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns in their first 25 games together in 2023 and 2024, but is their time together coming to a close?
While making an appearance at Super Bowl Radio Row with Chris Simms, Montgomery talked about how much he loves playing with Gibbs.
“The really good teams have the rarity of having two really good guys (at running back), and Jahmyr is one of, if not the best, running backs in the league, and I believe I’m a damn good back myself,” Montgomery said. “Every chance I get to showcase myself, I will.
“I just think having us both together and us both being as selfless as we are, I think it’s really important. It’s something special to be a part of.”
However, Montgomery was also asked about his usage by the Lions have gone down in 2025 and how he felt about his touches being “stolen” by Gibbs.
“I wouldn’t say dealing with it, and I wouldn’t say stealing,” he said. “I would say, you’re on a team where you get the luxury of having two guys like that. Everybody wants to play, everybody wants to be involved. but the good thing about this is, I’m an incredible teammate, and I’ll do whatever it is to ensure that my team is going in the right direction, but I want to be a part of that, also.”
Based on Montgomery’s words, Lions fans can be excused for having a bit of optimism that he could be back in 2026.
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Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Recently Addressed David Montgomery’s Future
When he was recently asked about the future of Montgomery with the Lions, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that there will be conversations about the issue and also hinted that his skill set could perhaps be better utilized elsewhere.
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so, yeah, would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
Montgomery’s cap hit for next season is $8,370,833, followed by a $10,245,833 cap hit in 2027.
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Montgomery Posted Career-Lows This Past Season
Montgomery’s stats in 2025 weren’t as impressive as they’ve been in years past, as he experienced career-lows in both attempts and rushing yards per carry, along with his total number of yards per scrimmage.
He’s a 2019 third round (73rd overall) pick of the Bears, but he would sign a three-year, $18 million contract with the Lions in 2023. He followed that up with a two-year, $18.25 million extension.
$18.25 Million Star May Have Just Confirmed Future With Detroit Lions