Amon-Ra St. Brown Had Bittersweet Message for David Montgomery After Lions Trade

Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown shared his reaction to seeing David Montgomery traded to the Texans this offseason. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Lions’ running back room will look different next season after beloved ball-career David Montgomery was traded to the Texans, where he’ll likely secure a lockdown starter role in the backfield. Detroit star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was among those sad to see Montgomery go after three productive years together on one of the league’s most fearsome offenses.

On Wednesday, St. Brown opened up on his podcast about his initial honest reaction to hearing the news of the Montgomery deal. (The Lions sent him to Houston in exchange for two draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs.)

St. Brown said Montgomery let him and the Lions know before the news broke, and sent a sweet farewell message in a group chat that included all of Detroit’s running backs and St. Brown: “It's been a pleasure playing with you boys,” Montgomery allegedly wrote.

As upset as St. Brown may have been about the trade, the Lions star wideout also seemed to admit it was the best outcome for his ex-teammate’s NFL career.

“I’m sick,” St. Brown said. “Selfishly, I’m sick because I love D-Mo. One of my favorite teammates. No matter what the situation was, we all knew he wanted more carries, wanted to play more. He never made it about himself, he was always about the team. I know it’s hard sometimes, especially in his position, he’s an RB1 on 31 other teams. He’s d--- near RB1 for us... Selfishly, like I said, I’m upset but also I’m really happy for D-Mo because I know how much he wanted to have a bigger role on an offense and I think he’s going to get that in Houston.”

"Selfishly, I'm upset, but also I'm really happy for D-Mo because I know how much he wanted to have a bigger role on an offense and I think he's going to get that in Houston."

Amon-Ra St. Brown speaks on his good friend David Montgomery getting traded to the Texans 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/XWTL8VDnxO

— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) March 4, 2026

David Montgomery shined in his three seasons with the Lions

Montgomery signed with the Lions in 2023, recording a career-high 13 touchdowns in his first year in Detroit, which coincided with former first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs’s rookie season. Though Gibbs gradually ascended into the Lions’ RB1 role, Montgomery remained productive with the carries he got and earned every minute of his playing time, forming a then-iconic “Sonic and Knuckles” duo with his running back partner-in-crime.

But even as the duo worked in tandem, it had always been clear that Gibbs was the unmistakable leader of Detroit’s running back corps. Last season, Montgomery started zero games for the first time in his career; Gibbs started in all 17.

With the 28-year-old Montgomery now getting his deserved shot at a starting running back role in Houston, St. Brown and many other Lions players will likely look back on their shared memories with fondness and appreciation. Their time together, though relatively short, was still special, and it probably won’t be long until their paths cross again in the future.

David Montgomery trade grades

SI’s Mike Kadlick graded the trade shortly after it happened, giving the Lions an A-, saying it’s now officially Gibbs’s show in Detroit.

While it’s certainly a bummer that we’ll have to retire the Sonic and Knuckles jokes, moving on from Montgomery, who still has two years on his contract with a $9 million cap hit in 2027, while adding a plug-and-play guard in Scruggs and draft capital, is a no-brainer for Detroit.

Gibbs was able to keep some tread on his tires to begin his career. Now? It’s full speed ahead as the Lions look to compete for their long-awaited Super Bowl title. 

Kadlick gave the Texans a C+ on the deal.

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