Lions Trade ‘Knuckles’ to the Houston Texans
After weeks of speculation, in a mid-morning mini-blockbuster, former Bears and Lions RB David Montgomery has been traded to the Houston Texans. Announced at 11:00 a.m. EST on March 2nd, 2026, the Lions will send the RB to the Texans in exchange for a fourth-round pick, OL Juice Scruggs, and a seventh-round pick. This trade comes less than five hours after the Texans traded OL Tytus Howard to the Browns for a fifth-round pick. Assuming Montgomery does not get a new contract with the Texans, he will stay in Houston until after his original Detroit contract ends, which is after the 2027 season.
Houston Receives: David Montgomery
The Texans are a part of a weird AFC South. Rivals to the Colts, Jaguars, and Titans, all four AFC South squads are becoming competitive at the same time. The Colts had a disappointing collapse at the same time as some crucial injuries. The Titans struggled in all facets of the ball with a rookie QB, a head coach who was eventually fired, and a roster with little to no star power. The Jaguars were on fire in 2025 with their own rookie head coach, but fell short to the Bills in the playoffs. Lastly, the Texans snuck into the playoffs as the fifth seed, but struggled offensively in the playoffs, mustering 17 offensive points in the Wild Card Round and 16 in the Divisional Round loss to New England. Adding David Montgomery to the Houston backfield is an interesting move because, in two trades today, the Texans gave up two offensive linemen. Granted, the addition of Montgomery will most likely result in Nick Chubb testing free agency and the cutting of Joe Mixon, who signed in March of 2025, but did not play all season due to injury. The Texans’ backfield would then be led by Montgomery and Woody Marks, who rushed for 700 yards and two touchdowns in 16 appearances in his 2025 rookie season.
Detroit Receives: Fourth-Round Pick, OL Juice Scruggs, 2027 Seventh-Round Pick
I believe Detroit won this deal fair and square. Yes, it is nice to have two great running backs who have their own play style, have amazing chemistry, and their own offensive packages, but money and other roster factors always force some difficult decisions. Montgomery signed a two-year extension in 2024, which was just over one season after signing a three-year deal to join the Lions. Of course, at the time, the Lions did not exactly know the type of player Jahmyr Gibbs would pan out to be, but three years later, Gibbs is a guy who can do everything for the Lions. Gibbs is entering the last year of a four-year rookie deal, but Detroit has the opportunity to take a fifth-year option, forcing a contract by the end of 2027 at the latest. Montgomery’s cap hit would have been about eight million dollars, with about four million in dead cap, so the trade saves Detroit about four million dollars, which, according to the Detroit front office, is just enough to move on from a player like Montgomery and target a young backup in the draft, allocating the money elsewhere on the roster. The Lions also will get Juice Scruggs, who has not been a steady starter for Houston in his three years, but after the retirement of Dan Skipper and Frank Ragnow, the Lions are in desperate need of offensive line depth. Scruggs’ place on the Lions is not guaranteed since he has one year left on his rookie deal, but it is insurance if the draft does not go in Detroit’s favor.
At the end of the day, the Texans are getting a good RB. Soon-to-be 29-year-old David Montgomery is one of five Detroit running backs to have over 2,500 rushing yards and more than 30 rushing TDs in their career. Given that Montgomery’s tenure in Detroit overlapped completely with Gibbs, who is also on this list, the stat speaks volumes about Montgomery’s ability to thrive as a bell cow, showing optimism for his return as a potential full-time starter. In four years with Chicago and three years with Detroit, Montgomery has amassed 6,115 yards and 59 touchdowns on the ground, adding 1,240 yards and four scores through the air. The topping on the cake? David Montgomery has two career passing touchdowns on three attempts, giving the Texans a few more options in their playbook. Watch out for the new-look Texans in 2026, featuring David Montgomery in the backfield.
