The Detroit Lions’ search for a new RB2 behind star Jahmyr Gibbs for the 2026 season is officially underway after the franchise traded veteran David Montgomery to the Houston Texans last week.
In a perfect world, the Lions would’ve loved to keep their dynamic duo together with Drew Petzing taking over as offensive coordinator. Petzing was known for having top-10 rushing offenses for a couple of seasons during his stay with the Arizona Cardinals. And he didn’t have running backs like Gibbs and Montgomery at his disposal.
Instead, Petzing had James Conner, who isn’t the most explosive running back at his age, but when healthy, can rush for 1,000 yards, which he’s done twice with the Cardinals. With Arizona bringing in a new head coach (Mike LaFleur), there was a hope that the Cardinals would cut ties with the 30-year-old Conner, who has a $9.8 million cap hit for 2026, which could’ve led him to the Motor City.
However, those dreams ended rather quickly, a day before the NFL’s legal tampering period starts on Monday. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Conner agreed to a revised contract with the Cardinals, keeping him in Arizona for the upcoming season.
Lions Must Look Elsewhere to Fill RB2 Role After James Conner News
The veteran running back would’ve been the perfect complement to Gibbs if he were to hit the open market. The 30-year-old rusher is not only effective running the ball between the tackles, but he can also be utilized as a playmaker out of the backfield.
Those are two things that Montgomery was excellent at during his time in the Motor City. But now that Conner is officially staying in Arizona, the Lions need to continue to explore all options to find their replacement for Montgomery.
Luckily for Detroit's front office, a few options are sitting in free agency that could pique their interest in a one-year deal.Â
Brian Robinson, Emanuel Wilson, or JK Dobbins are just some of the names that come to mind, and could work in a two-headed RB system. Then there’s Najee Harris or Joe Mixon, who are coming off serious injuries in 2025, but are worth kicking the tires on a one-year flier to reboost their stock, as it could give the Lions one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL.
According to Spotrac, Harris’ calculated market value is a one-year, $2.9 million contract, while Mixon’s is set at a one-year, $3.2 million deal. If that’s the going rate for either guy, Lions GM Brad Holmes shouldn’t scoff at the idea of signing one of them.
Then there’s also Emari Demarcado and Michael Carter, who were both coached by Petzing in Arizona, and could be cheap signings for Detroit. If the Lions signed either running back, it could still allow them to draft a running back, which shouldn’t be off the table.
The RB2 position isn’t the top priority on their free agency checklist, but it's something that they must attack because once Kenneth Walker and Travis Etienne go off the board, the dominoes will start to fall.