Brad Holmes Calls David Montgomery Situation 'Fluid'

On Tuesday, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes met with the media for the first time since recapping the 2025 season in Motown.

With the NFL Scouting Combine taking place in a few days, it was time to look forward to the 2026 season for the Lions. Holmes has to make a few decisions on the long-term futures of quite a few players on the team, and he got asked about a few players during his time with the press.

One Lion that has his future with the team unclear is running back David Montgomery. The Iowa State product has taken a less prominent role in the backfield with the emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs, recording less carries and yards in each of the last two seasons and failing to start a game in 2025 for the first time in his career.

Holmes was asked about the long-term future of Montgomery with Motown, and the general manager revealed quite a bit about the future of the back with 33 touchdowns in his three seasons in Detroit.

Montgomery's role dipped down the stretch of the 2025 season, as his snap count dipped as Gibbs became more of a featured back. The running back finished the year with 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, but had a decreased percentage of snaps played as the season went on.

The explosive Gibbs, meanwhile, surpassed 1,200 rushing yards and totaled 13 touchdowns during the 2025 campaign.

Holmes has been talking to Montgomery’s agents, but the friction implied by Montgomery’s posts appears to be real. While the front office and locker room wants the power back returning, it is not certain that Montgomery wants to return.

It seems as though a potential split could be mutual, as Montgomery may not desire to return in this decreased role. He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season, and is currently under contract through the end of the 2027 campaign.

“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Holmes did not reveal exactly what was said between Montgomery’s agent and himself, but did call the discussions healthy, implying that the relationship has not completely soured. As it stands, the situation in Detroit is very fluid.

“With his agent? Those are conversations that I keep in house,” Holmes said. “But I will say that I have had healthy dialogue with David at the end of the year, and healthy dialogue with his agent.”