With the Detroit Lions’ playoff window in jeopardy, the team has to make some tough decisions this offseason. But one of the most difficult decisions revolves around running back David Montgomery.
Montgomery is a fan favorite in Detroit and signed a two-year, $18.25 million contract extension with the Lions in October of 2024. Just over one year later, the contract is an eye-sore for a Lions team that goes into the spring $8.5 million over the salary cap, and it could make him a surprising cut candidate before the extension kicks in next season.
The issue with Montgomery’s contract stems from production judged against value. When the two sides agreed to the deal, Montgomery was producing like one of the league’s best running backs, ranking 10th among qualifiers with a Pro Football Focus grade of 85.3. While the grades are arbitrary, Montgomery was also proficient in other areas, including yards after contact, missed tackles forced, and success rate.
Because of this, Montgomery’s $8.2 million cap hit ranks 10th among players at his position entering next season, per Spotrac. It also comes ahead of several notable names, including Saquon Barkley ($6.6 million), Kyren Williams ($6.3 million), and Bijan Robinson ($5.9 million).
While Robinson is in a different situation, as he is on a rookie scale contract, Montgomery had a case to be part of his group. If you look at his traditional stats, it also doesn’t appear he’s on the verge of a massive dip, as he ran for 716 yards and eight touchdowns despite John Morton’s issues as offensive coordinator.
Lions Regretting David Montgomery’s Contract Sooner Than Expected
But digging deeper, Montgomery doesn’t look like a top-10 running back. While Montgomery saw a boost in some areas, including an uptick in yards after contact, he also didn’t live up to the standard of his contact, ranking outside the top 10 and even in the bottom half of running backs in several analytical categories.
2024 (Rank Among Qualfiers) | 2025 (Rank Among Qualifiers) | |
|---|---|---|
PFF Grade | 85.9 (10th) | 75.3 (21st) |
Yards Per Attempt | 4.2 (26th) | 4.5 (T-17th) |
Yards After Contact | 3.14 (18th) | 3.17 (19th) |
Success Rate | 55.1% (8th) | 48.1% (50th) |
Missed Tackles Forced | 42 (T-17th) | 29 (34th) |
As a result, Montgomery earned a valuation of $2.9 million for his 2025 performance, according to Over The Cap. While his current cap hit is manageable for the 2026 season, it jumps to $10.2 million in 2027, creating a larger issue.
An extension for Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the Lions’ top offseason priorities, which further complicates things for Montgomery. His running mate in the backfield's next deal could cost $20.2 million, according to Spotrac’s projections. While Gibbs has performed at the level of a top-five running back in recent years, that could put a large chunk of money into the backfield, which is an area where most teams try to avoid large investments.
It also creates an issue for Montgomery if the Lions approach him with a restructure. Set to turn 29 in June, the extension with the Lions was supposed to represent his last big contract. If he gets cut now, he may have a chance to recoup some of that money on the free agent market and could earn more than the pay cut the Lions may be offering in the coming weeks.
Perhaps this is why Gibbs hinted that it was Montgomery’s decision whether he wanted to return to Detroit in 2026. While the Lions could create cap space in other ways, including restructures for Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Penei Sewell, they’re not getting the top-10 value they expected when negotiating Montgomery’s current deal, which could make his contract the cause for a shocking breakup ahead of the 2026 season.