The Detroit Lions want to avoid another last-place finish in the NFC North race next season, and if they’re going to do it, it’s going to be because of their offense.
The first step in restoring the Lions’ offense came when offensive coordinator Drew Petzing was hired in January. After helping the Arizona Cardinals post a top-10 rushing offense in his first two seasons, the hope was that Petzing could help Detroit get back to its foundation of running the football.
But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Lions' OC may be losing one of his top running backs.
In a notebook published on Sunday morning, Fowler reported that David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit and is requesting a trade. While he adds that the Lions “would want a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder) in return,” any compensation wouldn’t be enough to calm Petzing, whose job got a lot more difficult with Montgomery’s trade demand.
Lions’ David Montgomery Drama Puts Drew Petzing in Tough Spot
Petzing’s work with the running game will be one of the biggest storylines in his early days in Detroit. The Cardinals ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing offense during his first year (2013) and seventh in Year 2. Petzing believed he could bring that success to the Lions, especially with Montgomery in the fold.
The 38-year-old coach referred to Montgomery as a “foundational weapon” and “dynamic three-down back” for his offense in an interview with Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman. But that praise apparently hasn’t been enough to get the bad taste out of Montgomery’s mouth from last season.
Montgomery played in all 17 games last season, but he had career lows in carries (158) and rushing yards (716) as former offensive coordinator John Morton failed to find a rhythm on offense. Even with Dan Campbell taking over play-calling at the end of the season, the Lions couldn’t get Montgomery going, and with the possibility of a pay cut, the 28-year-old RB may feel like his time in Detroit is over.
Even if the Lions get more than expected in a Montgomery trade, it would be little consolation to Petzing.
While he’ll still have Jahmyr Gibbs as the centerpiece of his offense, losing Montgomery would be a massive blow. Jacob Saylors would be the next in line on the depth chart, but the former undrafted free agent had just two carries for 11 yards in his rookie season. Sione Vaki could also get a crack at replacing him, but he’s become more of a special teams standout with seven carries for 18 yards over his first two seasons.
It would also shift the Lions’ offseason plans with another need on the shopping list. While Travis Etienne ($6.8 million), Rico Dowdle ($6.5 million), and Isiah Pacheco ($4.3 million) would be options that cost less than Montgomery, according to Spotrac’s market value projections, none of them have had the production, as Montgomery has run for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns since arriving in Detroit as a free agent in 2023.
That would make it wise on Petzing’s part to extend a last-minute olive branch to see if Montgomery will reconsider his trade demand. It also looks like things are heading in the wrong direction, leaving Petzing with another difficult task in his first season as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.