The Detroit Lions turned the page on the David Montgomery experience in the Motor City when they traded him to the Houston Texans on March 2 in exchange for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round selection.
It appeared he left the Lions in the dust when he deleted anything Detroit-related from his Instagram account. While he's left the Lions in the rearview mirror, Montgomery is ready for the future.
The Iowa State product had his introductory press conference with the Texans on March 13 and added more pressure to his plate.
David Montgomery Put Pressure on Himself for 2026 Campaign
Per Jonathan M Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, Montgomery made it clear he is more than capable of taking on a larger workload than he did in Detroit.
"I honestly feel like I'm in my prime," Montgomery stated. "Am I able to handle the workload? Yes, because I work hard in the offseason to be able to do something like that."
And considering that he was splitting time with Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield, this isn't a surprising statement. Montgomery then added he wants to show he's "more than just a power back" with the Texans.
Montgomery has been known for his bruising, downhill ball-carrying style. He weighs 230 pounds and doesn't have blazing speed, but that doesn't mean he isn't looking to put that on display. The 28-year-old seems reenergized, but will he answer the call? That remains to be seen, yet Lions fans will keep a close eye on what he does with the Texans.
In 45 games with the Lions, he had 2,506 rushing yards, 33 touchdowns, and averaged 4.5 yards per carry. But over the last three years, he saw his rushing yards and touchdowns decrease in each season.
The emergence of Gibbs in the backfield played a role in his numbers taking a dip, but it can't be all on that. Nonetheless, he wanted a chance to be the RB1 and has that chance with the Texans. Montgomery seems ready for this opportunity, but his comments put extra pressure on himself.
Can he handle the burden of being an RB1 for an entire season? Will he be able to be effective while taking the beating week in and week out? Those questions remained to be seen, but after what Montgomery said, the pressure is on.
He wanted out of Detroit and got his wish. Not only did that happen, but he believes he's more than what he showed with the Lions. They had a great thing going in the Lions' backfield, but all good things come to an end. And that was more from Montgomery's end.
He's ready for his next challenge, and he put more on his plate with his first comments with the Texans.