David Montgomery's Future With Lions Looks Bleak Following GM's Comments

January 09, 2026
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery reacts during 2025 game.

Detroit might be heading toward an uncomfortable reality with David Montgomery. 

After a season where Jahmyr Gibbs clearly became the engine of the backfield, Lions general manager Brad Holmes didn’t exactly slam the door on Montgomery returning in 2026. 

Holmes admitted the team has to figure out what’s “best” for Montgomery going forward, adding, “Is it somewhere else or whatever the case may be.”

Brad Holmes’ words made it feel real

“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said, noting Montgomery “deserves to be in a situation where his skill set can be utilized.” 

It’s easy to read between the lines there, especially after Detroit’s offense leaned harder into Gibbs as the year went on. Gibbs handled lead duties and produced like it, finishing with 1,223 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in 2025. 

The numbers point to a shrinking role

Montgomery is still productive, but the workload shift is hard to ignore. 

In 2025, he logged 158 carries for 716 yards (4.5 YPC) and eight rushing touchdowns, while Detroit’s usage increasingly indicated a change of pace instead of an even split backfield.

Holmes even made it clear the team didn’t love how it played out, saying, “I hope it doesn’t, because we love David Montgomery… and wish we would have been able to get more utilization from him.” 

That’s the tricky part, because Detroit can love the player and still decide the roster math and role at this point would benefit them more with a trade to shore up other areas.

Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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