The NFL world came to a pause on March 2nd, 2026, as the Detroit Lions decided to part ways with David Montgomery and trade him to the Houston Texans. Is it a good trade?

Stephen A. Smith, who has recently talked about running for the President in 2028, said in the recent episode of First Take that it is beneficial for the Texans and will help C.J Stroud.

He also supported the former Lions running back, saying:

"I get where you're coming from, Dan, because of Gibbs and what he means to their franchise Etc. But he is just electrifying, but as electrifying as he is, he's relatively small, and I think that having that additional cat to run the football on occasion, I think, helps him or helps preserve him to some degree."

In the last two seasons, the Lions prioritized Jahmyr Gibbs over Montgomery as their running back.

In the 2025 season, the latter could only record a career-low rushing total of 716 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. He did not even start any games. But Smith believes that the 5'11 RB has still got a lot in him.

"I think now we can assume he'll have an even heavier load moving forward. I'm wondering how that's going to affect. We know what he can do with the ball in his hands. I'm just talking about health-wise. That's my only reservation outside of that."

The Texans ranked 22nd in rushing yards per game (108). Woody Marks started 8 games at running back for the Texans during the 2025 season. He was the team leader in rushing with 703 yards and also scored a couple of touchdowns.

But Montgomery might be taking over their RB1 spot because of the talent he has shown.

He has had 1,477 carries for 6,115 yards, 231 catches for 1,890 yards, and has scored 63 touchdowns in 7 NFL seasons. In 2024, Montgomery became the first Lions back since Barry Sanders (1990) to have 10+ games with at least 50 rushing yards and a rushing TD in a season.

After elevating his career as the Lions' running back, it was time for a new challenge for him.

David Montgomery Had One Final Message for Lions Fans

The former Lions running back sent a message to the fans through the official podcast of Crunch Time Sports.

"It's your boy Dmo, Knuckles, some of y'all call me Monty, whatever it is. I just want to let y'all know that the kind of love that I have for y'all holds a special place in my heart. Going to a place where it's a blue-collar place, a city filled with life, hope, unconditional love," he said.

David Montgomery first came to Detroit when he signed a contract with the Lions in 2023.

Earlier, he had played 4 years for the Chicago Bears. He has had 562 carries for 2,506 yards and has scored 33 touchdowns in 45 games for the Lions in his career. He talked about how much it means to him that the fans accepted him like family. The 28-year-old added:

"Y'all went hard for me, and for the people that's like true fans and really still show love to me no matter where I am. They also understand how hard it is for me to leave such a place that I was loved. But I'm a firm believer that God blesses us and takes us through moments and times in our lives where it's ran its course."

Well, he will be hoping to receive a similar reaction from the Texans fans when he joins the camp. What do you think about this trade? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Kalp Thaker