Sonic and Knuckles will not play together in 2026.
The Detroit Lions are reportedly trading running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. In return, the Lions will get:
- 2026 Texans’ 4th-round pick
- OL Juice Scruggs
- 2027 Texans 7th-round pick
There was clearly some tension between Montgomery and the Lions after the 2025 season, in which Montgomery saw his usage decline with the rise of Jahmyr Gibbs. Just last week, Lions general manager Brad Holmes suggested that there were still ongoing talks between the Lions and Montgomery.
“Obviously, look, we love David. He’s a great player. We would love to have him. Kind of want to put last year in the rearview and just move forward. But a player has to want to be at a certain place as well, so those conversations are still fluid and we’re just kind of seeing how it goes,” Holmes said last week.
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With the move, the Lions will clear up just north of $3.5 million in cap space, but now they find themselves with a significant need for a second running back.
Scruggs offers the Lions some offensive line depth with the trade. Formerly a second-round pick in 2023, Scruggs played every interior offensive line position for the Texans over the past three years. He started six games at left guard in his rookie season. In 2024, he started eight games at center, four at left guard, and one at right guard. Last year, Scruggs was mostly a backup, starting just one game at left guard, but logging a total of 351 snaps between right and left guard.
The Lions are looking for offensive line help this offseason after the unit took a step back last year following the loss of Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler. Scruggs can compete at all three interior spots and provide some experienced depth. He’s on the final year of his rookie contract—a one-year, $1.58 million deal, none of it guaranteed.
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