2026 NFL free agency preview: Lions will have RB options if David Montgomery situation ends in split

If the Lions and David Montgomery end up parting ways, there are compelling complementary backfield options set to hit the market, including 225-pound Tyler Allgeier, who has backed up Bijan Robinson in Atlanta the past few years. (Getty Images)

The NFL’s negotiating window for pending free agents opens on March 9, and players will be eligible to sign with new teams on March 11 at 4 p.m.

Ahead of those dates, we’ll preview each position, looking at the top options expected to hit the market, the Detroit Lions’ pending free agents, plus three outside players who could be fits.

Today, we’ll be looking at the running backs.

Quick overview

After producing more than 3,000 yards from scrimmage and combining for 32 touchdowns, it wasn’t necessarily surprising to see a dip in production from tandem Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

There were a number of factors at play, including a new offensive coordinator and a stiffer schedule, reducing how often Detroit was playing with a lead in the fourth quarter. But there were also issues with the cadence of the rotation after Gibbs took over starting responsibilities in 2025.

Gibbs delivered in the role, racking up 1,839 rushing and receiving yards, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and finding the end zone 18 total times. Montgomery, meanwhile, saw a decline in usage unrelated to ability.

That’s put the two sides at a crossroads this offseason. The Lions want Montgomery back, but understand they need to sell the player on the workload balance being better under incoming coordinator Drew Petzing.

If this ends in divorce, the Lions will be on the hunt for another back to complement Gibbs, ensuring they don’t wear the superstar out. That need could be addressed in either the draft or free agency.

Top players available

Kenneth Walker III

Coming off his second 1,000-yard campaign, where he matched his previous career-high 4.6 yards per carry, Walker only boosted his stock with an MVP performance in the Super Bowl.

Quick, powerful and elusive, Walker has all the traits a team could want in a No. 1 back.

Breece Hall

Hall was one of the few top-tier assets the Jets didn’t ship out ahead of last year’s trade deadline. Despite everything else falling apart around him in New York, he managed to deliver his first 1,000-yard season.

Hall finished with 1,415 yards and five touchdowns from scrimmage, he’s played in at least 16 games each of the past three seasons and is just 25 years old.

Travis Etienne Jr.

After a down year in 2024, Etienne rediscovered his footing while playing for first-year coach Liam Coen last season. The former Clemson standout topped 1,100 yards on the ground, had nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone 13 times.

Etienne is explosive, with 28 carries of 10 or more yards and seven going for at least 20-yard gains.

Rico Dowdle

The former Dallas back delivered while playing on a prove-it deal in Carolina, rushing for 1,076 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and setting a career-high with five touchdowns on the ground.

Detroit’s pending free agents

There are none.

Detroit parted with longtime No. 3 back Craig Reynolds in the middle of the 2025 season, preferring Jacob Saylors’ contributions on special teams.

Sione Vaki also remains in the fold. He’s a high-end producer on special teams, but the converted safety hasn’t been needed much on offense. He tallied a single touch, a 4-yard carry, during his second season.

Potential outside fits

Brian Robinson

Robinson has been a solid player during his four-year career. He averaged 776 yards and five touchdowns across three years with the Commanders before he was shipped to San Francisco ahead of last season.

Playing second fiddle to Christian McCaffrey, Robinson saw fewer than half the touches he was getting in Washington. He finished with 400 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 92 carries.

Tyler Allgeier

Allgeier arguably tops the group of next-best backs available after the four above. The 5-foot-10, 225-pounder has served as the No. 2 behind Bijan Robinson in Atlanta the past three seasons, averaging 614 yards, five touchdowns and 4.0 yards per carry.

Allgeier has good first-step quickness and power, making him a source for plenty of yards after contact. He is also a decent pass protector, if you need the back to hang tough against the blitz.

Nick Chubb

Once one of the league’s most-explosive and productive backs, Chubb’s prime was derailed by a serious knee injury in 2023. After nearly 400 days between appearances, he’s mustered just 3.7 yards per carry the past two seasons.

Still, there’s enough in the tank to serve as a complement to Gibbs, if the Lions need one. He won’t break the bank, plus, there’s familiarity with incoming offensive coordinator Drew Petzing after the two worked together in Cleveland.