Texans lead back acquired in a 2026 trade from Detroit after three seasons as Gibbs' running mate.
David Montgomery spent three seasons in Detroit splitting the backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions traded him to Houston in March 2026 for a 2026 fifth-round pick as part of their cap reset. Montgomery becomes the Texans' clear RB1 in front of Joe Mixon's replacement Dameon Pierce.
Path to the league
Iowa State product taken 73rd overall by Chicago in 2019. Spent four years with the Bears (3,700+ yards). Signed with Detroit in 2023 and joined Gibbs to form one of the league's best 1-2 RB tandems for three years.
Career highlights
2023 Pro Bowl. 1,000-yard season with Bears (2020) and Lions (2023). 16 rushing TDs in 2023 led NFC. 6,500+ career rushing yards across seven seasons.
2025 season recap
750 rushing yards on 198 carries (3.8 ypc), 11 TDs. Detroit went 14-3 and the team prioritized Gibbs' workload, which capped Montgomery's volume. The 2026 trade gives him bell-cow opportunity in Houston.
Sources
- Wikipedia: David Montgomery
- Pro Football Reference: David Montgomery
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Rushing
17 games played▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | texans | 3 | 37 | 103 | 2.8 | 2 | 18 |
| 2025 | lions | 17 | 158 | 716 | 4.5 | 8 | 72 |
| 2024 | lions | 14 | 185 | 775 | 4.2 | 12 | 21 |
| 2023 | lions | 14 | 219 | 1,015 | 4.6 | 13 | 75 |
| 2022 | bears | 16 | 201 | 801 | 4.0 | 5 | 28 |
| 2021 | bears | 13 | 225 | 849 | 3.8 | 7 | 41 |
| 2020 | bears | 15 | 247 | 1,070 | 4.3 | 8 | 80 |
| 2019 | bears | 16 | 242 | 889 | 3.7 | 6 | 55 |
▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | texans | 3 | 7 | 48 | 6.9 | 1 | 10 |
| 2025 | lions | 17 | 24 | 192 | 8.0 | 0 | 23 |
| 2024 | lions | 14 | 36 | 341 | 9.5 | 0 | 40 |
| 2023 | lions | 14 | 16 | 117 | 7.3 | 0 | 19 |
| 2022 | bears | 16 | 34 | 316 | 9.3 | 1 | 32 |
| 2021 | bears | 13 | 42 | 301 | 7.2 | 0 | 16 |
| 2020 | bears | 15 | 54 | 438 | 8.1 | 2 | 28 |
| 2019 | bears | 16 | 25 | 185 | 7.4 | 1 | 30 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- Iowa State
- Hometown
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
Latest news about David Montgomery
All news →Colts Edge Texans 19-17 in Week 3
Indianapolis Colts 19, Houston Texans 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Daniel Jones went 24 of 36 for 235 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Lions' Isiah Pacheco Out About 12 Weeks After Back Surgery
Surgery removed a loose body pressing on a nerve, per NFL Network, pointing to an early-December return and leaving Jahmyr Gibbs, who carried 29 times in the opener, as Detroit's workhorse.
Bills Beat Texans 36-31 in Week 1
Buffalo Bills 36, Houston Texans 31 at Reliant Stadium. Josh Allen went 20 of 29 for 334 yards with 2 touchdowns.
NFC North offseason buzz: Kyler Murray to Minnesota, Lions trade Montgomery, Vikings ship Greenard to Eagles
All four division teams had winning records in 2025. The 2026 offseason has been the most active in the league, with three QB rooms reshuffled and a starting RB swap in Detroit.
