David Montgomery Responds to NFL Trade Rumors That He 'Wants Out' From Lions in Social Media Post

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery disputed the notion he wants to be traded.

After ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday that Montgomery "wants out" and could net "a decent Day 3 pick" for the Lions, the running back took to social media in response:

Montgomery's future has been a topic of discussion this offseason, and ESPN's Eric Woodyard reported general manager Brad Holmes met with the running back as he "weighs whether to push for a trade to a team that would feature him or remain in Detroit."

Montgomery saw his role decrease as the 2025 campaign continued with fewer than 10 carries in seven of the final eight games. He also played just 33 percent of the team's offensive snaps from Week 11 through 18, per Woodyard.

"We love David. He's a great player. We'd love to have him," Holmes said Tuesday. "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, so those conversations are still fluid, and we'll just see how it goes."

While Montgomery is talented, he also plays in an offense with one of the best running backs in the league in Jahmyr Gibbs. That Detroit would want to feature the Alabama product as much as possible comes as no surprise, even if it means fewer chances for the veteran.

Montgomery's 158 carries and 716 rushing yards in 2025 were both career-low marks since he entered the league as a third-round pick in 2019, although he still managed eight rushing touchdowns.

Yet even that was his lowest total in three seasons with the Lions after scoring a combined 25 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024.

At 28 years old, the Iowa State product likely could still be a featured back if he went somewhere that didn't already have a star running back in place like Gibbs. Perhaps he will eventually decide to look for more opportunity by pushing for a trade, and there seem to be ongoing conversations with the team.

But he pushed back at the idea he wants out in his latest social-media post.