The Detroit Lions are sending running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, ending the “Sonic and Knuckles” pairing in the Lions backfield and handing Houston a veteran runner as the club continues reworking its offense.

The deal sends Montgomery to Houston in exchange for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and two draft picks. Detroit is set to receive a 2026 fourth round pick and a 2027 seventh round pick. The trade can’t become official until March 11, the first day of the new league year.

Montgomery, who will turn 29 in June, arrives in Houston after three seasons in Detroit. Over that stretch, he totaled 2,506 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns as part of a two back rotation with Jahmyr Gibbs.

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The end of that partnership had been building for weeks. Montgomery’s role shrank during the 2025 season as Detroit leaned more heavily on Gibbs. Montgomery still played all 17 games, but finished with a career low 716 rushing yards on 158 carries and scored eight rushing touchdowns. Gibbs handled 243 carries for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns.

On the Detroit side, that usage trend now becomes roster reality. Trading Montgomery creates more room for Gibbs to carry the backfield workload without the same snap and touch split. It also matches where the Lions were already going late last season, when Montgomery’s snap share dipped and he failed to top 10 carries in any of the final eight games.

Montgomery addressed Detroit fans after the trade news, posting: “Please know this: Everything I do next carries a piece of Detroit with it. The work ethic. The edge. The heart. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for walking this chapter with me.”

Why Houston made the move is not complicated. The Texans went into the offseason looking to fix a run game that finished 22nd in rushing in 2025 at 108.9 yards per game. Rookie Woody Marks led the club with 703 rushing yards, and Nick Chubb added 506 yards. Joe Mixon missed the entire season with an injury.

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Montgomery is expected to step in immediately as a lead option. The trade also adds clarity to what the Texans may do next at running back, with league sources expecting Houston will most likely release Mixon after he missed 2025 because of a foot injury.

From Montgomery’s perspective, the move addresses the exact problem that had followed him through the offseason: touches. Reports indicated he was unhappy with the reduced role while sharing the backfield with Gibbs and wanted a situation where he wasn’t splitting carries.

Even with the down year in Detroit, Montgomery’s career resume still reads like a steady, durable starter. He has rushed for 6,115 yards and 59 touchdowns and added 231 receptions for 1,890 yards and four receiving touchdowns in 105 games (79 starts) with the Chicago Bears and Lions.

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