On March 1, Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery took to social media to address the trade rumors surrounding him.
Earlier in the day, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit and that the veteran running back could be on the trade market for a Day 3 pick.
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In his post to X, Montgomery suggested he had expressed no such desire — at least not to Fowler.
“Damn, Dmo told you?” Montgomery wrote, referring to himself by one of his nicknames.
Montgomery has spent the last three seasons with the Lions after playing his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears. While in Detroit, he played alongside Jahmyr Gibbs — serving as an injured back in the “Sonic and Knuckles” backfield — but his share of the offense slowly declined as Gibbs’ star emerged.
Montgomery rushed the ball a career-low 158 times last season and failed to make a start for the first time in his NFL career. Despite the reduced workload, he was still efficient, rushing for 716 yards and eight touchdowns at an impressive 4.5 yards per carry.
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With that in mind, teams across the NFL may be interested in pursuing the soon-to-be 29-year-old as a potential backfield leader, especially since his salary is projected to be just $6 million through 2026.
But given Montgomery’s comments, it’s unclear whether he would be willing to accept this change of scenery, even if it would bring an expanded role.
David Montgomery contract details
In 2024, Montgomery signed a two-year contract extension with the Lions and will play until the 2026 NFL season. Below are the terms of this agreement provided by Spotrac.com.
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total value: US$18.25 million
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Average Annual Value (AAV): US$9.125 million
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guaranteed money: US$10.49 million
Montgomery’s AAV ranks 12th among running backs, while his total deal value ranks 19th at the position.
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Although Montgomery’s contract is worth $18.25 million, he only needs $15 million in cash over the next two seasons. The remaining $3.25 million was paid to him up front as part of his signing bonus.
Therefore, any team considering acquiring the veteran would only owe him an average of $7.5 million over the remaining two seasons of his contract.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lions RB David Montgomery addresses trade rumors
