INDIANAPOLIS - The Detroit Lions' Running Back Situation: A Closer Look
The Detroit Lions are keen on keeping David Montgomery as part of their running back rotation for the 2026 season. However, as GM Brad Holmes highlighted at the NFL Scouting Combine, the decision isn't solely up to them.
"We’d love to have him," Holmes stated. "We want to move on from last year and look ahead.
But obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. So those conversations are still fluid and we’ll just kind of see how it goes."
Montgomery's dissatisfaction stems from his diminished role last season. As the clear No. 2 behind Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery hit career lows in several key areas: 716 rushing yards, 158 attempts, 182 total offensive touches, and 908 yards from scrimmage.
At the Super Bowl, Montgomery was cautious when discussing his future. He's set to earn a base salary of $5.49 million this fall, the first year of a two-year, $18.25 million extension signed in October 2024, with $1.75 million guaranteed in 2026. Notably, he didn’t surpass 10 carries in the last eight games of the season.
Holmes has maintained "healthy dialogue" with Montgomery's agent regarding his future, though he opted to keep those discussions private.
"Those are conversations that I'll keep in house," Holmes said.
Lions coach Dan Campbell, who expressed regret over not giving Montgomery more carries, shared his thoughts. Gibbs led the Lions with 320 offensive touches, 1,839 yards from scrimmage, and 18 touchdowns in 2025, after sharing duties with Montgomery from 2023-24. Campbell spoke with Montgomery at the season's end but has allowed him space this offseason.
"But certainly he knows how I feel," Campbell added, noting that new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is also a fan of Montgomery. "I mean, who wouldn’t?
This guy, he’s a heck of a back. And so we’ll just, we’ll see where everything’s at.
Certainly there’s been healthy conversations. I’m sure Brad told you guys, probably mentioned that.
David’s a pro, so we’ll figure this out."
As the Lions navigate these discussions, the future of their backfield remains a key storyline to watch.