David Montgomery denying trade rumors proved short-lived. Just days after dismissing reports on social media, the Detroit Lions have traded the star running back to the Houston Texans.

Just a few days ago, an NFL news account posted an Insider report that Montgomery was looking for a way out, but the running back hit back.

He quoted the post and wrote, "D***, Dmo told you that ?" A sarcastic reply that denied the Insider reports. However, the Lions did end up trading Montgomery.

In return, they have received a 2026 fourth-round draft pick, a 2027 seventh-round draft pick, and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs.

Montgomery joined the Lions in 2023 in free agency after playing for the Bears for 4 years. And that was a historic season for the Lions as they won their first NFC Championship after 30 years. The 28-year-old rushed for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns, and the next season was even better.

The Lions finished with a franchise-best 15-2 record, the most wins ever in a single season in team history. They became one of only nine NFL teams to win 15+ games in the regular season. Montgomery had 185 carries for 775 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in 14 games.

This was also the start of his role reduction with the Lions. Over the past couple of seasons, Montgomery’s role in the backfield shrank as Jahmyr Gibbs became the primary ball-carrier. Gibbs has become the team’s main down-to-down back, leaving Montgomery mainly in short-yardage.

In the 2025 season, Montgomery posted a career-low rushing total, 716 yards, and did not start any games. Plus, his cap hit was going to be $6 million this year and grow to $9 million in 2027.

Jared Goff Joined Jahmyr Gibbs in Bidding Farewell to David Montgomery

After the trade news, Montgomery took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Lions' fans. “This isn’t goodbye because something ended. It’s goodbye because something grew. And growth sometimes calls us forward,” a part of it read.

Jared Goff was there in the comments. "The greatest," he commented. Montgomery's 25 rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons with Detroit are the third-highest in franchise history.

Brown also commented “Brother” with a red heart emoji. Jahmyr Gibbs had the most heartbreaking reaction of all. He uploaded an image of Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles walking in opposite directions with a broken‑heart emoji over the image.

The duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs was famously nicknamed Sonic and Knuckles during their time together in Detroit. What do you think about the trade? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi