Detroit Trades David Montgomery to Houston Texans in Deal That Includes Juice Scruggs and 2026 Pick
Running back David Montgomery has been traded by the Detroit Lions to the Houston Texans, a move that alters both teams’ backfields and roster construction ahead of the new league year. The transaction, which will not become official until the start of the new league year on March 11, sends a 2026 fourth-round pick, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and a seventh-round pick to Detroit.
David Montgomery: role, contracts and recent dialogue
Montgomery, who will turn 29 in June, had been under contract in Detroit for two more seasons and signed a two-year, $18. 25 million extension with the Lions in October 2024; he is scheduled to make $5. 49 million this season, the first year of that deal. He had earlier signed a three-year, $18 million contract with Detroit in 2023 after four seasons as the Chicago Bears’ lead running back, having been a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Last season Montgomery played all 17 games but posted career lows in rushes and touches. His per-game averages fell from 14. 4 rushes and 16. 3 touches in his first two seasons with Detroit to 9. 3 rushes and 10. 7 touches last season. Offensive snap share also declined: he played 41% of offensive snaps overall but that dropped to 33% in Weeks 11–18, and he did not record more than 10 carries in any of the Lions’ final eight games. Those usage trends contributed to conversations between Montgomery, his agent and Lions general manager Brad Holmes; Holmes described those exchanges as "healthy dialogue" and said the talks would be kept "in house. " Montgomery publicly denied that he had "wanted out" of Detroit and countered a report that he was seeking a fresh start, while noting the Lions would have wanted "possibly a fifth-rounder" in return.
Houston Texans: roster needs and backfield outlook
Houston is acquiring Montgomery after a season that relied heavily on rookie Woody Marks and Nick Chubb. The Texans finished 22nd in rushing yards per game and 31st in rushing touchdowns last season despite ranking 13th in rushing attempts. With Nick Chubb set to hit free agency and Joe Mixon still recovering from a foot injury, Montgomery and Woody Marks are expected to be the leading rushers next season.
The Texans have also been reshaping their offensive line, a process that included trades involving Tytus Howard and Juice Scruggs; the latter is part of the package moving to Detroit in the Montgomery deal.
Trade mechanics: Pelissero’s announcement and March 11 timing
Tom Pelissero announced the transaction on Monday with a tweet that read, "Trade! The Lions are sending RB David Montgomery to the Texans. " Ian Rapoport provided the detailed components of the exchange: Houston will send a 2026 fourth-round pick, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and a seventh-round pick to Detroit. The teams will not finalize the transaction until the new league year opens on March 11, at which point the moves become official.
Impact on Detroit Lions depth and cap space
The Lions will receive a 2026 fourth-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick in Juice Scruggs and a seventh-round pick in return, a combination the team projects to bolster its offensive line and address other needs. Scruggs, a 2023 second-round pick, was cited as adding depth to a Lions offensive line that struggled last season. Moving Montgomery also frees up touches for leading rusher Jahmyr Gibbs and creates cap space that the team could deploy to extend players such as Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch.
Head coach Dan Campbell said he spoke with Montgomery at the very end of the year but has since given him space to decide his future. Campbell also noted that the team hired Drew Petzing as its new offensive coordinator and said Petzing "loves him, " calling Montgomery "a heck of a back. " Holmes similarly emphasized that Detroit values Montgomery and that conversations about his future remained fluid.
Context from team statements and roster strategy
The trade follows a period in which Montgomery weighed whether to press for a move to a team that would feature him more prominently or remain in Detroit. Those deliberations came after his reduced role in 2025 while playing alongside Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions’ 9–8 finish last season and subsequent coaching and schematic adjustments helped frame the choice facing the player and the club.
What makes this notable is the confluence of usage decline, explicit front-office dialogue and roster timing: a veteran running back with a history as a primary ballcarrier is being exchanged for draft capital and an offensive lineman at a moment when both teams have clear, immediate needs to address.
