Lions are trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans; receiving o-lineman Scruggs and draft compensation in return

Running back David Montgomery is being traded to the Houston Texans. (Getty Images)

Allen Park — The writing was on the wall at the scouting combine last week, and on Monday, the divorce was finalized. The Detroit Lions found a taker for running back David Montgomery, agreeing to send the veteran running back to the Houston Texans.

According to ESPN, the Lions are getting offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and two Day 3 draft picks — a fourth and a 2027 seventh — in return.

Signed ahead of the 2023 season as an upgrade to Jamaal Williams, Montgomery thrived his first two seasons with the Lions, rushing for 1,790 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and 25 touchdowns. He formed a formidable tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs, a first-round pick in 2023, as the two combined for more than 3,000 yards from scrimmage during the 2024 season.

In the middle of that campaign, the Lions signed Montgomery to a two-year extension, which was set to take effect in 2026. Assuming Detroit isn’t picking up any of Montgomery’s salary for next season, they’ll clear $3.5 million in cap space with the trade.

However, Montgomery’s role withered last season, when Gibbs was installed as the starter. Montgomery routinely finished with fewer than 10 touches, and despite appearing in all 17 games, he logged a career-low 158 carries.

Lions leadership continued to speak highly of Montgomery throughout the offseason, while acknowledging the partnership wasn’t a lock to continue. At the combine, Holmes said it hinged on the player wanting to be back.

“I’ve been in touch with David’s agent and his representation,” Holmes said last Tuesday. “Obviously, look, we love David. He’s a great player. We would love to have him. Kind of want to put last year in the rearview and just move forward. But a player has to want to be at a certain place as well, so those conversations are still fluid and we’re just kind of seeing how it goes.”

Over the weekend, ESPN reported Montgomery still wanted out — a reflection of the running back’s stance at the end of the season — but he logged on to Twitter to refute the report.

Less than 48 hours later, he’s on the move to a Texans team in desperate need for an upgrade to its backfield rotation. With veteran Joe Mixon missing all of last season with an injury, the tandem of Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry.

Detroit will unquestionably be on the hunt for a new complement for Gibbs. There are a number of strong options set to be available in free agency, including Brian Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.

The Lions could also turn to the draft, where they should be able to find a north-south option in the later rounds. The team met with some running backs at the combine, including Penn State’s Nick Singleton, a six-foot, 219-pounder who ran for more than 3,400 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per carry during his college career.

Scruggs, a former second-round pick, provides Detroit with experienced depth along the interior of its offensive line, as well as a candidate to compete for the starting center job.

The six-foot-3, 320-pounder logged 20 starts across the past three seasons, with more than 500 snaps at center last season. Scruggs, 26, also played center during his senior year at Penn State in 2022.

“Scruggs is dependable and consistent in carrying out his assignment to the best of his ability,” NFL.com’s Lance Zeirlein wrote in his pre-draft report. “He plays like a block of granite that is difficult to push back or knock off-balance, but he’s more of a neutralizer than road grader. He plays with solid technique and possesses the play strength to hold his own in the middle. The lack of foot quickness shows up with athletic defenders leaking around his edges and that issue could be exacerbated if teams play him at guard. Scruggs has the potential to go from backup to eventual starter if the situation is right.”