The Chicago Bears received outstanding news on Monday morning regarding the Detroit Lions, which should help head coach Ben Johnson and his crew possibly repeat or at least make the path towards winning the NFC North slightly easier in 2026.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Lions traded standout veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media adds that Houston is giving up two draft picks (fourth and seventh) and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, in exchange for Montgomery’s services.
It was seemingly only a matter of time before the Lions had to make the tough decision to let go of Montgomery. The former Bears running back wasn’t happy with his role in Detroit and made that known during the season.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Montgomery wanted out of Detroit, even though the veteran tried to refute said report shortly after. Now, it's clear that the Lions were open to moving him, and now their running game loses a key piece that should help the Bears and their defense.
Bears Should Be Rejoicing That David Montgomery Is Leaving the NFC North
This past season, the Bears’ defense struggled on the ground, allowing the sixth-most rushing yards per game in the league (134.5).
The Lions were successful on the ground against Chicago, rushing for 177 yards in Week 2 and 122 in Week 18. However, Montgomery didn’t make a huge dent in either game, as Jahmyr Gibbs did most of the damage.
- Week 2: 11 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown
- Week 18: 8 carries for 42 yards
That said, he has averaged a solid 5.3 yards on 62 carries in five games against the Bears since leaving Chicago.
Without Montgomery in the Lions’ backfield, the Bears’ defense can focus its attention solely on Gibbs, which is easier said than done. Gibbs is still a matchup nightmare, but not having to worry about Montgomery punching your defense in the face is one less problem.
In the meantime, the Lions have to prioritize finding an RB2 this offseason, which the Bears don’t have to worry about since they have D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. That RB duo was statistically better on the ground (144.5 rushing yards per game) than Gibbs-Montgomery (120.1 yards per game).
As things stand, Detroit’s potential Montgomery replacements on the roster are Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki. Neither guy puts the fear into Chicago’s defense, as they’re both predominantly special team contributors.
The RB2 market is not the best either, as the Lions could theoretically go after Brian Robinson, Nick Chubb, J.K. Dobbins, or Isiah Pacheco. On paper, they’re solid replacements, but they aren’t Montgomery, who created a nice blend of power with Gibbs’ speed, which is going to be hard for the Lions to replicate.
All in all, this is a good step in the right direction for the Bears in their quest to repeat as division champions. The Lions were able to get Chicago on the scoreboard, but right now, it seems as if the Bears are having the last laugh with free agency on the horizon.