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The Detroit Lions made waves during the offseason when they traded star running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick, a 2027 seventh-round pick and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs.
Trades can be brutal. For players, they’ve gotten comfortable in a certain franchise and have made lifelong friends. Then, they’re shipped to a whole new destination. For fans, it can mean a favorite player ending up with a team they can’t stand.
Former Lions player David Montgomery opens up about trade
During a recent interview on the Deebo & Joe podcast, co-host James Harrison asked Montgomery if he wanted to get traded to the Texans.
“When I was in Detroit, I thought I was going to be there for the rest of my career,” Montgomery said on the show. “I love the city of Detroit. They showed me an immense amount of love. Coach (Dan) Campbell, a dope coach, you know.”
He added, however, that “when you start to get a little older playing the game, at a professional level, and you start to kind of see how things unfold, you got to get met with like a tough decision, and you know, I was met with that.”
Montgomery also said that it was “inevitable” that the trade was happening. It was out of his control.
“It was something that was out of my hands,” he said, “and when it came, like I was sick. I was sad that I had to leave. But it’s the business part of it. I wish them nothing but respect.”
What losing David Montgomery means to the Lions
So, the Lions felt they could trade Montgomery because Jahmyr Gibbs is going to be their workhorse. Instead of keeping him and letting him go into free agency, they saw a move for the future and getting something in return for him.
It’s a smart move, but losing Montgomery also hurts the Lions, especially in the short run. Now, the Lions have to almost completely rely on Gibbs, which could increase his risk for injury and, at the very least, burnout.
Montgomery doesn’t sound like a player who really wanted to leave. Perhaps there could have been a way to keep him and take the pressure off Gibbs.
But, what’s done is done, and it’s time to make the best of it. For Montgomery to say the trade made him “sick” is a strong statement. Hopefully he’ll settle in well to his new home. Montgomery served Detroit well, and he’ll be missed.
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