When the season ended, it seemed possible that David Montgomery had played his last snap with the Detroit Lions.
Brad Holmes openly addressed the topic, saying the Lions and Montgomery needed to discuss what the best path forward would be. The Lions general manager even said it could be here in Detroit or somewhere else, and that Montgomery deserves to be in a situation where his skills can be utilized.
Montgomery spoke as part of Super Bowl media week with NBC Sports for his first public words since the season ended. He said new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing reached out to him and “was very intentional about what messages he was getting across.” Montgomery said he was reassured that the new OC wants him to be part of their offense.
“And yeah, I’m excited to see what’s next and see what happens now,” Montgomery said. “But yeah, I think he’s great for it.”
MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast is back with a new episode. The guys answer reader-submitted questions, discuss the chatter from the Super Bowl and give their year-end awards for the Lions.
Hosts Ben Raven and Kory Woods also addressed Montgomery’s comments and offered their take on the future for the running back. Montgomery played all 17 games for the first time in his career. But his carries dropped by 59 from the mark he hit in 14 games in 2024. Montgomery still managed 716 yards and eight touchdowns. And with Petzing’s ability in the rushing attack and love for jumbo, heavy-set packages, it’s easy to see why he’d want the Jahmyr Gibbs-Montgomery duo in his backfield.
“I said it when Petzing got hired. I do like to hear David talking about that, because if I were Drew Petzing, I’d be like, ‘Hey, screw trading David Montgomery, you’re not going to get enough for him anyway. He’s going to do more here,’” Raven said on the podcast. “Like, seriously, David Montgomery’s extension has not kicked in yet. He is under full team control. The Lions should not, and this is me talking — nor should they move him.”
Woods discussed how NBC Sports asked Montgomery how it felt to take a backseat to Gibbs, and he immediately pushed back on the questions. He explained how it’s good to have two dynamic options, and that he’s just like any competitor who wants to be involved and touch the ball more.
For now, it seems like Montgomery and the Lions are inching closer to running it back in 2026, and that’s a good thing for the team’s new offensive staff.
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