With Montgomery extension, Lions prove once again highly productive, culture-setters will be rewarded

Arlington, Texas — The formula has been established: If you fit the Detroit Lions’ culture, and you produce at a high level, more than likely, you’re going to get paid.

After a busy offseason that saw Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker earn contract extensions from the franchise, general manager Brad Holmes and the team’s front office was at it again Saturday, coming to terms on a slightly rarer, mid-season deal with running back David Montgomery.

The timing came as a surprise, for multiple reasons. First, as noted, it’s less common for negotiations and significant agreements to be reached once the regular season begins. On top of that, there was seemingly no rush to get a new deal in place. Montgomery still had more than half the time remaining from the original, three-year contract he signed with the Lions as a free agent ahead of the 2022 season.

But the Lions have shown, time and time again under Holmes, they won’t hesitate to reward the players who exemplifies the standard that's been set. Montgomery fits the bill as well as anyone on the roster.