By Steve Penaloza | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 2:17 PM ET
The Detroit Lions are sending running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in exchange for a fourth-round pick, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and a 2027 seventh-round pick in a trade Monday morning, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The trade comes days after it was reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Montgomery wanted out of Detroit. However, the report was debunked with Montgomery himself taking to X, writing, “Damn, Dmo told you that?” pushing back on the idea that he indeed wanted out.
TCU-Baylor Postgame: TCU Players Marta Suarez & Olivia Miles
Nevertheless, Detroit likely took that into consideration and decided this was the route it wanted to take, shipping its star running back off to Houston.
Montgomery had been sharing the backfield with star running back Jahmyr Gibbs, forming a dynamic duo for the Lions rushing attack gaining the nickname “Sonic and Knuckles.”
However, this past season, the emerging Gibbs took on more of a lead back role with Montgomery being pushed to more of a second fiddle, leading to career-lows with 716 rushing yards on 158 rushing attempts.
Texans find their lead back in David Montgomery
The Texans might have just found their workhorse running back of the future in Montgomery.
The Texans finished last season with a record of 12-5 and made it to the AFC Divisional Playoffs behind their stellar No. 1-ranked defense. The offense was needing a little help, however, and they might have found it in Montgomery. The Texans running game had been struggling to find its footing behind the likes of Woody Marks and Nick Chubb, with neither back really able to run away with the job.
Montgomery gives Houston a more polished and experienced runner hungry to show his talents as the lead back. He now joins a team on the rise behind a stellar defense and a young quarterback in C.J. Stroud looking to take the next steps in his career. Having a running back of the quality and experience of Montgomery can certainly help.
Whether he wanted to get out of Detroit or not, Montgomery now has the opportunity to show that he can still be “the guy” on a playoff contending team.
Hi, my name is Steve, I’m 37 years old from Los Angeles, CA. I’m a husband and father of three boys. I’m a lifelong sports fan, my favorite sports teams are the 49ers, Lakers, Dodgers and LA Kings
More must-reads:
- Three RBs Lions could take in NFL Draft to replace David Montgomery
- Report shares if Maxx Crosby has, will ask to be traded by Raiders
- The ‘Last 1K-rushing-yard season by team’ quiz
This Game Is So Beautiful. If You Have A PC It’s A Must-Have
Costco Shoppers Say This Serum “Removes Wrinkles Like Crazy”
Those Who Have Diabetes, Read It – Before They Delete It!
If You Apply This Plant To A Joint, The Pain Will Go Away Forever
Tom Cruise’s Daughter Is Probably The Prettiest Woman Ever
Breaking News
NBA – Antetokounmpo expected to return in showdown against Celtics
NFL – David Montgomery gets new opportunity in trade from Lions to Texans
NHL – Insider reveals key obstacle in Oilers trading for Ekman-Larsson
NASCAR – Tyler Reddick going for unprecedented NASCAR four-peat in front of Michael Jordan
MLB – Boone offers latest response to Yankees fans who want him fired
MLB – Mets manager makes big admission about when Lindor may return
NCAAF – Deion Sanders reacts to Dominiq Ponder’s passing
NFL – Browns finally get Shedeur Sanders some help with major trade
Trending News
NFL
Jeremiyah Love, other RBs post outrageous 40-times at NFL combine
1
NFL
Five players Cowboys should target in free agency
2
NBA
NBA MVP tiers entering final quarter of 2025-26 regular season
3
NFL
Steelers have an ownership problem
4
NFL
George Pickens unlikely to sign franchise tag with Cowboys
5
NHL
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews has forgotten what it means to be captain
6
MLB
10 intriguing and still-available MLB free agents
7
TODAY’S BEST
NFL
Chargers Might Want to Target Former 1st-Round Pick After Commanders…
NFL
Browns finally get Shedeur Sanders some help with major trade
NFL
Kenneth Walker III could be biggest beneficiary in David Montgomery…
Your Blood Pressure Will Be 120/80, And Arteries Clear In 10 Days
NFL
‘I would be surprised’ — NFL insider Jeremy Fowler makes a bold…
J.J. McCarthy’s relationship with the Minnesota Vikings is getting more and more interesting. We know that head coach Kevin O’Connell wants to bring in competition for McCarthy, and there have been a lot of reports circulating that the Vikings are ready to move on. Even with the rumors, we still don’t know what exactly the Vikings think about McCarthy’s future with the team. Jeremy Fowler references break up with Vikings and J.J. McCarthy We’ve heard everything from the Vikings’ patience is wearing thin to the still believe he is the franchise quarterback. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes that the two sides are set to break up, but a cut would be a surprise. “I would be surprised if he gets cut,” said Fowler on The Dan Patrick Show. “It’s a similar situation to Anthony Richardson last year. I think in a perfect world, they would like to bring somebody on, but if you bring on Geno Smith, I think he’s interesting to Minnesota is because he’s had enough struggles where, if you bring him in and sell him as a competitor to J.J., you can kind of sell it, but you can also sell it as, yeah, he’s probably the starter, so you’re hedging both ways. And you can keep it alive with J.J. a little bit, and maybe he surprises you in camp. “But you know, we’ve all been there. Dan, it’s kind of like when you get broken up with or somebody starts seeing other people, like when they do that, it’s kind of clear it’s probably over. So there’s that element to the J.J. McCarthy situation as well, similar to Anthony Richardson with Daniel Jones. When they signed Daniel Jones, they were probably going to start him. They were going to have a competition in camp and maybe see if Richardson can play him out. But they sort of knew where it was going. I think this is a similar situation in Minnesota. They know where this is headed, but they’ll leave a little wiggle room for J.J. to maybe surprise them.” The key phrasing from Fowler is simple: It’s a similar situation to Anthony Richardson. He had a “chance” to win the job last year, but Jones was more than serious competition. It certainly does feel similar, especially with how the reporting has come out about the situation. The next few days are going to tell us a lot about what the future holds at the position. The confidence in McCarthy is definitely at an all-time low.
NFL
Steelers Draft Plans at QB Revealed
2026 NFL Draft: Small-school prospects who will make a big impact
NFL
Steelers Insider Reveals Plan at LG
Your Blood Pressure Will Be 120/80, And Arteries Clear In 10 Days
NFL
David Montgomery gets new opportunity in trade from Lions to Texans
NFL
Chiefs may already have a plan in place for post-Jawaan Taylor era
College Football
Five prospects who hurt their stock during the NFL combine
NFL
Dallas Cowboys Get Unfortunate News on Promising…
2026 NFL Draft: 20 famous names who won’t be drafted until the later rounds
NFL
How realistic is a Maxx Crosby trade for…
NFL
Raiders Look to Have Interest in 1 Elite Free Agent
College Football
Taylen Green, Sonny Styles and other prospects whose stocks…
Some players must now feel much better about their stock after the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Here are five prospects who should be climbing teams’ boards heading into the NFL Draft (scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh). We already covered combine fallers here. Arkansas Razorbacks QB Taylen Green Green (6-foot-6, 227 pounds) now looks like one of the more intriguing options in a thin QB class after showcasing his elite athleticism at the combine. The Razorbacks star set a combine record for QBs in the vertical jump (43.5 inches), and he posted the fastest 40-yard dash (4.36) among QBs this year. Green is still unrefined as a passer, which should prevent him from being a Day 1 or Day 2 pick. In 2025, he completed 198-of-326 passes (60.7 percent, below average) for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. However, if a team takes a chance on Green on Day 3 and unlocks his upside, it should be getting a steal. “[Green’s] going to be a project at the next level because he’s got to get all the parts working together, but he has a chance to be a special talent,” CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson said before the combine. Ohio State Buckeyes LB Sonny Styles Heading into the combine, league insiders knew Styles (6-foot-5, 244 pounds) was poised to crush on-field testing. And yet, he still shattered expectations. The LB vertical jumped 43.5 inches, the second-best mark for an edge-rusher/off-ball LB since at least 1999, via The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke. Former Penn State Nittany Lions edge-rusher Cameron Wake vertical jumped 45.5 inches in 2005. “So, just how impressive was Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles’ NFL Scouting Combine performance on Thursday?” wrote Baumgardner and Burke. “How about this: It was arguably — and there might not even be much of a counterargument here — the most electric on-field combine showing by a linebacker in the past three decades.” Styles — who led the Buckeyes in tackles (83) in 2025 — was already viewed as a potential first-rounder. NFL Mock Draft Database projects that the Dallas Cowboys will take him with pick No. 12, but could he go even higher after his outstanding combine performance? Arkansas Razorbacks RB Mike Washington Jr. Needy teams that may not be in a position to take Notre Dame Fighting Irish RB Jeremiyah Love (6-foot, 212 pounds) could still be in luck. Washington (6-foot-1, 223 pounds) looks like another solid option who should remain available on Day 2 of the draft. Washington posted the fastest 40-yard dash (4.33) among RBs at the combine, which brought him to tears. “I’m so emotional man,” the RB told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales (h/t The Athletic). “I’ve worked my whole life for this.” His hard work should continue to pay off. Washington, who rushed for a career-high 1,070 yards in 2025, could now be RB2 in the draft. “Love will be the first running back drafted, but Washington made a strong case in Indianapolis for why he should be a top-three back in April,” wrote the Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Connecticut Huskies WR Skyler Bell Bell dominated in his final season with UConn, ranking fourth in the country in receptions (101) and second in receiving yards (1,278) and tying for third in touchdown catches (13). However, the Huskies are an FBS independent, meaning they don’t face the same level of competition as football powerhouses in the Big Ten or SEC. Despite that, it doesn’t appear Bell (6-foot, 192 pounds) was feasting on lesser opponents. At the combine, the wideout showed he has the traits to make it in the NFL. He ran a 4.4 40-yard dash and logged the fifth-highest vertical jump (41 inches) among WRs. “Teams should trust the tape when they evaluate his ability to move the chains at the next level,” wrote NFL.com’s Chad Reuter in a story published Saturday. Iowa Hawkeyes C Logan Jones Iowa is known for producing elite offensive linemen, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. Jones may be the next one. “At 6-foot-3, 299 pounds, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any offensive lineman at 4.90 seconds,” wrote ESPN’s Jordan Reid in a story published Sunday. “I expect Jones to be picked inside the top 100 picks and become a starter early on in his career.” Jones appears to be an elite run blocker, bolstering his stock. Per Sports Info Solutions, the Hawkeyes averaged a stellar 5.4 yards per carry when they ran behind the center in 2025.
MLB
One storyline to follow for every MLB team in 2026
NHL
Vincent Trocheck Sends Rangers Trade Destination Demands
NFL
Surprise Giants Veteran Projected as Top Cut Candidate
Your Blood Pressure Will Be 120/80, And Arteries Clear In 10 Days
NFL
Green Bay Packers: PFF names shocking player as team’s most likely…
The Green Bay Packers have multiple players that they could (and probably will) potentially cut within the next several days. The reason for this, of course, is to get under the 2026 NFL salary cap. These players, to put it plainly, did not play well enough or spend enough time on the field to justify their cap hits. What is more, these same reasons are also why Green Bay will not try to restructure them. Age, of course, also plays a factor. Among the two players most commonly mentioned as potential salary cap cut candidates are pass rusher Rashan Gary and center Elgton Jenkins. Indeed, the Packers can save over $30 million just by releasing these two players alone. However, PFF has another suggestion, one that, frankly, does not make much sense. PFF suggests the Green Bay Packers release Karl Brooks In their recent article in which they name the perfect cut candidate for every NFL team, PFF suggests that the Packers part ways with 2023 sixth-round pick, Karl Brooks: “There aren’t many obvious cut candidates for the Packers heading into the offseason. Veteran running back Josh Jacobs is an option, but he still has more than enough left to give the Packers’ offense, especially after posting an 85.8 grade this past year. Karl Brooks was the Packers’ sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and could be the name to watch. “Brooks played to a 46.3 PFF grade in 2025, and moving on from him would save the Packers a modest but equally important $3.6 million in cap space.” Green Bay does indeed have a history of moving on from late round picks before the end of their rookie contracts. Based on PFF’s grading of Brooks, too, one can see where they are coming from in their suggestion. But the fact of the matter is that the defensive line is one of the Packers’ most shallow positions in terms of depth. With no first round pick in 2026 (or 2027), they are going to be limited as to who they can add in the NFL Draft. In other words, releasing a player who played just 59% of defensive snaps last season does not make much sense for the Packers. At least, not on the defensive line. One would assume that Green Bay would prefer Brooks takes a step forward in 2026 and could net them a nice compensatory pick when he signs as a free agent elsewhere in 2027.
Olympics
U.S. Figure Skater Ilia Malinin Receives Message From…
Every NBA franchise’s most infamous villain
NBA Quiz
The ‘NBA franchise leading scorers’ quiz
Your Blood Pressure Will Be 120/80, And Arteries Clear In 10 Days
NFL
Steelers Could Soon Trade For Explosive Wide Receiver
NFL
Commanders’ 7-round 2026 NFL Draft according to PFF mock draft…
College Football
Carson Beck got relentlessly booed at the NFL combine
NBA
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson fires back at popular narrative about him
The 25 greatest NHL enforcers of all time
NFL
Giants Get Bad Update on 2,400-Yard Wide…
NBA
Lakers Announce Bronny James News After Warriors Game
NHL
Oilers acquire defenceman Connor Murphy from…
The Edmonton Oilers have made their first trade ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline, acquiring defenceman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report talks intensifying Monday afternoon, while Mark Spector was first to report the Oilers would be acquiring Murphy, with 50 per cent of his $4.4-million contract retained, for a second-round pick. The pick is Edmonton’s 2028 second-round selection, Frank Seravalli reported. Murphy, 32, has appeared in 60 games for the Blackhawks this season, scoring four goals and 13 points. The right-shot defenceman has spent the last nine years in Chicago, having been acquired while current Oilers general manager Stan Bowman was with the team. Known for his defensive prowess and for being a tough-to-play-against player, Murphy has seen a dip in his five-on-five ice time this season, but has led all Blackhawks blueliners in penalty-kill minutes for the league’s top-ranked unit. He doesn’t provide much offence, driving play at a seven per cent rate below league average, but is rock-solid in his own zone, driving play defensively at a seven per cent rate above league average, according to HockeyViz. Murphy has posted strong suppression rates over the last two seasons, as with him on the ice, the Blackhawks have given up just 2.47 goals against per hour at five-on-five, and 3.15 with him off the ice. He’s also someone who doesn’t shy from the physical game, nor from blocking shots, which he does at a rate among the highest for NHL defencemen. An expansive list of fights, including four this year, highlights him as a player who won’t shy from standing up for his teammates. Oilersnation’s Jason Gregor reported the Oilers are likely to send Isaac Howard to the AHL, not long after recalling him, in order to be cap-compliant. Edmonton moving on from its 2028 second-round pick in the deal allows them to retain this year’s second-round pick, as well as their first- and second-round picks in 2027, potentially allowing them to make more moves ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
MY ACCOUNT SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE JOBS FAQ
PRIVACY POLICY COOKIE POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Copyright 2026 YB Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
