The 3 options the Lions have with David Montgomery

This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. It's all understandable why the Detroit Lions have been playing David Montgomery less. They haven't had the leads they normally do, so they had to change their run game a bit.

So what happens now? We have three options for the Lions and Montgomery. Here they are:

What if the Lions trade Montgomery?

Trading Montgomery is possible. You won't get a lot for him because he is on the older side of his 20s, and his contract is a little bigger. You're looking something like a fifth-round pick. Believe me, I know you think it should be higher, but teams are not doling out high draft picks for running backs very often, and they're not doing it for a 29-year-old running back who's essentially the backup.

If the Lions did trade him, they're not getting much in cap savings (about $3.5 million), so this isn't a huge move to save money. But they wouldn't have a $10 million cap hit in 2027, so that's a plus. The Lion would then have to move forward with Sione Vaki and/or Jacob Saylors in that role. At some point, the Lions do want to see what they have in Vaki as a running back.

What if the Lions cut Montgomery?

This is the most unlikely outcome. Yes, they save $3.5 million, but that is not the kind of savings that you cut a guy who's been big for you for, especially if some teams might want to trade for him. It's the same result, though, it gives the Lions the chance to move forward with Vaki and Saylors.

What if the Lions just stick with Montgomery?

This is the most likely outcome because again, this whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. Montgomery can still play and still help the offense. And he doesn't cost much money. Ultimately, this is just a result of a lot of people on social media just extensively reading way too far into things and working themselves into believing something that just isn't there.

Realistically, the Lions can keep Montgomery and still test the waters with Vaki and Saylors. They can grow both players, even with Montgomery there. The Lions have no reason to move on. They won't get cap relief, and they won't get a big return. I would fully expect Knuckles to be on the field with Sonic in 2026.

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.