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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
