David Montgomery Trade: Texans Land New RB1

The Houston Texans have made a major move to reshape their backfield. Houston is acquiring running back David Montgomery in a trade with the Detroit Lions, sending offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and two draft picks in return, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

According to those sources, Detroit will receive a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round selection as part of the deal.

David Montgomery brings proven production to Houston’s offense.

Over three seasons with the Lions, Montgomery rushed for 2,506 yards and scored 33 touchdowns.

Before joining Detroit in 2023, David Montgomery spent four years with the Chicago Bears, who selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Texans entered the offseason determined to fix a rushing attack that struggled throughout 2025.

Houston ranked 22nd in the league with 108 rushing yards per game, and rookie Woody Marks led the team with 703 yards on the ground.

Nick Chubb, who shared carries last season, is now a pending free agent.

With this move, Montgomery is expected to enter the 2026 season as Houston’s No. 1 running back.

The addition of Montgomery also brings clarity to the situation surrounding Joe Mixon.

Mixon, whom Houston traded for two years ago, missed the entire 2025 season due to a foot injury, and league sources expect the Texans will likely release him.

Montgomery’s exit from Detroit follows a frustrating year in 2025.

He saw his workload shrink while sharing the backfield with Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

Although Montgomery engaged in what was described as “healthy dialogue” with Lions general manager Brad Holmes about his future, the reduced role made a change of scenery the likely outcome.

Despite appearing in all 17 games last season, David Montgomery finished with career lows in carries (158) and total touches (182).

In his first two years with Detroit, Montgomery averaged 14.4 rushing attempts and 16.3 touches per game.

Last season, those numbers dropped to 9.3 carries and 10.7 touches per contest.

Montgomery played 41% of the team’s offensive snaps overall, but that figure dipped to 33% from Weeks 11 through 18, according to ESPN Research.

He did not record more than 10 carries in any of the Lions’ final eight games of the 2025 season.

David Montgomery will turn 29 in June and is scheduled to earn $5.49 million this season.

He is entering the first year of a two-year, $18.25 million contract extension he signed with Detroit in October 2024.

The Texans were active elsewhere on Monday as well.

Scruggs became the second offensive lineman Houston traded that day, as the team also agreed to send Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round draft pick.

Detroit, meanwhile, is focused on rebuilding its offensive line after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

The Lions ranked 20th in run block win rate at 70.7% and 30th in pass block win rate at 55.2% last season, numbers that reflected struggles up front as the unit adjusted to new personnel.

Now, David Montgomery gets a fresh start in Houston.

And the Texans are betting that Montgomery can lead their ground game back to relevance in 2026.

FAQ:

Also Read: Sonny Styles Sparks Kyle Hamilton Combine Reaction