The Detroit Lions' constantly up-and-down 2025 season will finally be over in a few short days. With the playoffs off the table, Week 18's clash with the rival Chicago Bears will not only mark the last time the Lions will play this season, but will also be the final occasion for certain players to don a Detroit uniform. After how poorly this year went, many changes are needed across the roster this offseason.
The Lions' offense is filled with talented playmakers, but that doesn't mean the unit will be safe from change. Veteran running back David Montgomery's seventh NFL season and third with Detroit has been one to forget, whether it's been due to his strange usage or lackluster efficiency.
Either way, one thing is clear as the regular-season finale arrives: Montgomery's time in the Motor City is almost over.
Lions May Say Goodbye to David Montgomery After Week 18
It's interesting to see how quickly Montgomery has gone from being a key offensive piece for the Lions to someone likely on his way out of town soon.
The 28-year-old RB seemed like the perfect backfield-mate to Jahmyr Gibbs when he amassed 1,015 rushing yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns on 219 carries in 2023. Fast forward to now, when Montgomery is entering Week 18, averaging a personal-low 42.1 rushing yards per game as his role behind Gibbs continues to shrink.
Montgomery's sparse usage was concerning earlier in the 2025 season, especially after tallying 310 yards and four touchdowns on 61 attempts in the first five games. That even included a 151-yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. Unfortunately, it's beginning to look like head coach Dan Campbell was right to scale back Montgomery's opportunities, proven by his declining efficiency as the season has progressed:
Time Period | Carries Per Game | Yards Per Carry | Rushing Yards Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
Weeks 1-5 | 12.2 | 5.1 | 62.0 |
Weeks 6-17 | 8.1 | 4.1 | 33.9 |
Yes, the Lions' offensive line struggles and injuries have hurt the entire backfield's production, but Montgomery deserves some of the blame, too. He simply hasn't looked all that dangerous with the ball in his hands recently, highlighted by his recording only 21 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown in the last three games, which includes a pitiful 10-carry, 25-yard effort against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17.
In other words, unless Montgomery goes nuclear against the Bears this weekend, the Lions will likely look to explore an offseason divorce. He still has two years left on his contract; however, Detroit can save $6 million in cap space by trading or releasing him after June 1, according to Spotrac. Considering how that's almost half as much space as general manager Brad Holmes is projected to work with this offseason, it's easy to see how a split would benefit Detroit.
If this is the end for Montgomery in the Motor City, at least he provided Lions fans with plenty of good times before they turned bad. The attention will then turn to who will back up Gibbs next season, whether that's someone under contract — like Sione Vaki or Kye Robichaux — or someone who will arrive in Detroit at some point in the offseason.