NFL World Is Saying Lions Fleeced Texans in David Montgomery Deal

Here is a sample of the reaction nationally to the Detroit Lions trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.

Sports Illustrated

The Texans earned a "C-" grade, while Detroit earned an "A-" grade.

"It’s officially the Jahmyr Gibbs show in Detroit. After splitting time with Montgomery over the past three seasons, the former first-round pick will now get to build upon his two consecutive 1,200-plus rushing yard, 10-touchdown campaigns with the Lions.

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."

ESPN

The Texans earned a "D" grade, while general manager Brad Holmes earned an "A" grade.

"Scruggs is a reclamation project throw-in for Detroit. The 2023 second-round pick has bounced around the interior of Houston's offensive line. At guard, he has been in the 24th and 26th percentiles in pass block win rate and run block win rate, respectively. The results at center in 2024 were even worse, as he wasthirdpercentile in both metrics. Scruggs has one year left on his rookie deal, but the draft picks should be more than enough here for the Lions. They can use that capital to find another running back to complement Gibbs late in the draft or find a low-cost veteran in free agency. It's as easy a win as the Lions will find all offseason."

The Lions fleeced the Texans in the David Montgomery deal: https://t.co/OpxgFbmq03
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) March 2, 2026

CBS Sports

The Lions earned a "B-" grade while the Texans earned a "B."

"As we noted earlier, Holmes was dealing with a player who may or may not have wanted out, so getting multiple draft picks along with a player in return is solid. Montgomery was the 1B in Detroit's backfield over the last few years, but his role started to diminish with Jahmyr Gibbs ascending to superstar status and carrying even more of the workload. That trend was only going to continue in 2026, likely furthering Montgomery's discontent, so moving on from a player whose role is only getting smaller within your offense makes sense.

Montgomery also had no guaranteed money left on his contract, so he likely would have looked for a revamped contract, making this a savvy financial move by the Lions, as well. They avoid needing to shell out money to a running back entering his age-29 season. All that said, Detroit's backfield is now not as deep as it once was, while the timeshare was becoming lopsided, the duo of Gibbs and Montgomery was a great one-two punch that also kept Gibbs fresh."

USA Today

The Lions earned a "B" grade, while the Texans were graded slightly lower at "B-."

"If Montgomery was truly intent on pushing his way elsewhere, this amounts to a nice return for a back of his age. Holmes has more resources to go hunting for Day 2 and 3 gems in the draft, and Scruggs, a 2023 second-round pick, is a decent depth toss-in for a franchise forced to rethink its own front. The question for Detroit now becomes where the team turns for its missing physicality in the backfield. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing surely doesn't want to run Gibbs into the ground, especially given his heightened importance in the new offensive dynamic.

Backup Sione Vaki was a fourth-round pick in 2024, but he only has logged seven carries in two years. A value signing after the first wave of free agency could be in order if there's the right fit. The Lions could look back to the draft as well, though this year's running back group is widely seen as one of the weaker points of the class.

There are several promising inside runners, such as Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr. and Nebraska's Emmett Johnson, but the top options might come at too rich of a price for a role that will be largely complementary. Washington's Jonah Coleman and Penn State's Kaytron Allen might be more attainable figures who could help fill the vacancy."