One of the more disappointing developments from the 2025 season was the use of running back David Montgomery. The Lions’ No. 2 running back saw is carries drop from 185 in 2024 to just 158 in 2025. His playing time dropped from about 28 snaps per game to 24. The Lions continued to insist they wanted to get him more involved, but the rise of Jahmyr Gibbs and the game situation made it tough for them to rely on their veteran, reliable back.
On Thursday, during his end-of-season press conference, Lions general manager Brad Holmes admitted there needs to be a conversation about Montgomery’s future. Holmes made it clear they want Montgomery back in 2026, but also very much hinted at a possible trade or release when asked if they planned on having him on the roster this upcoming season.
“I know that it was a tough year for him in terms of the lack of touches. And I’m not going to say that we went into it planning for it to be that way. I thought he handed it like a pro, and so, look, those are discussions that we’re going to have to have,” Holmes said.
“A lot more in-depth (discussion) in terms of: what is the plan for him going forward. Is it somewhere else or whatever the case (may) be? Just really appreciate everything that he has done for us if it does end up going that way. I hope it doesn’t, because we love David Montgomery. He’s a good football player. I wish we would’ve been able to get more utilization from him. I know Dan (Campbell) feels the same way.
“But those are conversations that we’re going to have, because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player. He deserves to be in a situation where his skill set can be utilized. So I would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here, then you have to just see what you can work out the best for him.”
That’s a level of bluntness and honesty that we’re not used to hearing from Holmes, but it’s clear the Lions are very much thinking about moving on from Montgomery, whether that be a request from the running back himself or them thinking it’s the best move for Montgomery himself.
Montgomery signed a two-year extension in October of 2024, keeping him under contract through the 2027 season. He is currently set to cost the Lions $8.37 million in cap space in 2026, with $4.8 million in guarantees remaining on the contract. That means if the Lions decide to cut or trade Montgomery, they will have to eat that $4.8 million in dead cap, but would free up just over $3.5 million in cap space.
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