Despite rumors that David Montgomery was trying to force a trade out of the Detroit Lions, Montgomery made it clear that he was not happy when they sent him to the Houston Texans in exchange for a draft pick and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. However, Montgomery also saw the trade coming and called it inevitable.
Montgomery joined the “Deebo & Joe” podcast, where he chatted with former Pittsburgh Steelers stars James Harrison and Joe Haden. When Harrison asked him about how the trade went down, Montgomery was clear that he had no ill will and that while he anticipated a move coming, he did not demand a trade.
“When I was in Detroit, I thought I was gonna be there the rest of my career,” Montgomery revealed. “I love the city of Detroit; they showed me an immense amount of love.”
David Montgomery Saw Trade From Detroit Lions as Inevitable
GettyLions RB David Montgomery
Montgomery did not want to leave, but also noted that it was inevitable that a trade was coming.
“It was inevitable that it was happening,” said Montgomery. “It was something that was out of my hands, and when they came, I was like, I was sick, I was sad I had to leave, but that is the business part of it.”
Montgomery did not come out and say it completely, but he did hint that the team wanted to give Jahmyr Gibbs more work, and that meant cutting into Montgomery’s work.
So, while he did not mind staying, his salary and the work he was producing did not match. Montgomery made it clear that he always enjoyed his time with Gibbs and did not see the two as competing with each other.
He saw himself as someone who helped Gibbs get his feet under him, and Montgomery stated that the duo formed one of the best one-two punches in NFL history. Montgomery noted that most duos cannot pull it off because it takes a level of selflessness that NFL players do not have.
Lions are Giving Backfield to Jahmyr Gibbs
While neither player had an issue with the split, the Lions coaching staff acted as if they wanted a change. They see Gibbs as the more explosive player, and it started to feel like he was being wasted by being in a time share.
Every year, the team would start to put more on his plate, and take carries away from Montgomery.
Montgomery had 219 carries in his first season with the Lions. He dropped down to 185 carries the next season. Then, in 2025, he had just 158 carries. Detroit wants to give Gibbs an even stronger portion of the work, so it is hard to see Montgomery getting anywhere close to 150 carries had he stayed on the Lions.
Montgomery once had 247 carries in a season with the Chicago Bears. While that might be a lot for him now, it does show that he was also being wasted with his shrinking role.
That is why Montgomery saw the writing on the wall. Both he and Gibbs were good enough to get more work, and neither could steal from the other.
So, while Montgomery did not want to get traded, he does understand why it happened. Also, he saw it coming throughout the year when he saw his work get taken away.
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