It’s a huge move for the Texans’ backfield.
The Detroit Lions have traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, per multiple reports.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions have dealt Montgomery to Houston in exchange for a fourth-round pick, a seventh-round pick and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs.
Earlier on Monday, the Texans traded another offensive lineman, Tytus Howard, to the Cleveland Browns, receiving a fifth-round pick in return.
The acquisition of Montgomery sees the Texans land an extremely prolific running back who had formed a dynamic partnership with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit.
Lions break up dynamic duo
Montgomery rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in three seasons with the Lions, playing a key role in their ascension from also-ran to NFC contender under Dan Campbell.
Detroit reached the NFC Championship Game in the 2023 season, suffering a heartbreaking defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, before being stunned by the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round the following campaign after securing the one seed in the conference. However, the Lions took a step back last season and missed the playoffs.
There is no doubting Montgomery’s talents. Yet, with the speedy Gibbs eligible for a likely lucrative contract extension this offseason, the decision to move on from the 28-year-old Montgomery makes sense from a financial perspective for the Lions.
Gibbs has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons since being drafted in the first round in 2023. A true home-run hitter, he has rushed for 3,580 yards and 39 touchdowns in that time and added significant value in the passing game. Indeed, Gibbs has racked up 1,449 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a pass-catcher in his career with Detroit.
His production helped make Montgomery surplus to requirements in Detroit, but he will have substantial value to the Texans.
Texans aim to kick-start ailing run game
The Texans were one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL last season, though those struggles did not prevent them from reaching the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs.
Only four teams averaged fewer than the Texans’ 3.9 yards per carry in 2025. Houston scored only nine touchdowns on the ground, that tally putting them ahead of just one team, the Las Vegas Raiders (5).
In addition, the Texans were 30th in Expected Points Added (a measure of explosiveness on offense) per play on the ground, and ended the year in the same position in rushing success rate, which gauges how often a play gained the required yardage. Only 35.6 per cent of the Texans’ rushing plays gained the necessary yardage.
Montgomery had a success rate of 48.1 per cent in 2025, having surpassed 50 per cent in each of his previous two seasons.
Among the 49 running backs with 100 rush attempts in 2025, Montgomery ranked 17th with an average of 3.17 yards after contact (by a defender) per carry, per analytics side Pro Football Focus.
The Texans will hope that pairing Montgomery’s physical skill set with that of a slasher in Woody Marks, who is very dangerous in the passing game, will give them the mix they need in the backfield.
