In a blockbuster trade, David Montgomery left the Detroit Lions for the Houston Texans on March 2, 2026.

It was a surprising move, given that head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes had said that they wanted to retain David Montgomery just last week.

To add to this, Montgomery also squashed the rumor of his trade by posting on X to a post suggesting his departure, “Did DMo tell you that?”

Now, all that has been put to rest with Montgomery heading to Houston. Following the announcement, the 97.1 The Ticket host Jim Costa called out Montgomery and questioned the motives of Montgomery for wanting to leave.

“How much of this is touches and yards? He had 775 yards in 2024 and 716 in 2025. So it's about the same number of yards. How much of this is that and how much of it is money? He’s running out of guaranteed money in his contract. The two-year extension he signed kicks in now. Is this about money, or does he actually want to leave?” Costa questioned.

To this, former NFL offensive lineman and host Jon Jansen replied,

“It can always be about money. I think he [Montgomery] is complaining and acting dumb on social media. You think Brad Holmes and David Campbell say what they said last week if David Montgomery hasn’t raised any concerns?”

Jim Costa claimed that Montgomery has been acting cryptically and not being direct about his needs. Costa did not mince words as he said, “Don’t act dumb on social media, you’re unhappy, let's find a compromise.”

However, the time for a compromise is in the past. The reality is that Sonic and Knuckles can be no more, with Montgomery being traded out.

Campbell and Holmes wanted David Montgomery to stay

Just last week, David Campbell and Brad Holmes showered praise on David Montgomery.

Campbell spoke to the press, “But certainly he knows how I feel. Drew loves him, too. I mean, who wouldn’t? This guy, he’s a heck of a back. Certainly, it’s been healthy conversations. David’s a pro, so we’ll figure this out.”

Holmes also said that they wanted to come to a compromise with Montgomery, but that he wasn’t sure if Montgomery was interested in staying in Detroit.

“We’d love to have him. Kind of want to put last year in the rearview and just move forward. But obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. So those conversations are still fluid, and we’ll just kind of see how it goes," he said.

What do you think of Montgomery’s sudden move to the Houston Texans? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Kalp Thaker