Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery is not acting like a veteran who expects to be pushed out of the picture. During
Super Bowl week, he used national TV spots to back Jahmyr Gibbs, defend his own role, and send a clear message about where he thinks Detroit is headed next.
In an NFL Network appearance and a separate interview on radio row, Montgomery called Gibbs “one of, if not the best running back in the league” and followed it with his own reminder: “And I believe I’m a damn good back.” For a player coming off reduced snaps and rising speculation about his future, that mix of praise and edge matters.
David Montgomery backs Jahmyr Gibbs while making it clear he still expects a real role
Montgomery has already lived both sides of Detroit’s backfield. He opened his Lions tenure as the starter for two seasons before Gibbs took over the lead role in 2025, per Lions Wire and NFL Network. His snap count has dropped by 11% since 2023, while Gibbs’ usage has climbed by 10% as the former first-round pick turned into one of the league’s most explosive weapons.
Even so, Montgomery is not framing the situation as a fight over scraps. Asked by NBC Sports’ Chris Simms if Gibbs was stealing his carries during an interview promoting Boy Scouts of America on radio row, Montgomery rejected the idea outright. “I wouldn’t say dealing with it, and I wouldn’t say stealing. I would say you’re on a team with the luxury of having two guys like that,” he said, via Lions Wire.
He then leaned into the competitive side that has kept him in the league for seven seasons. “I’m a competitor just like anybody that’s playing at a high level in a professional sport. Everybody wants to play, and everybody wants to be involved. The good thing about this is that I’m an incredible teammate, and I’ll do whatever it is that I need to do to ensure that my team is going in the right direction. But I want to be a part of that, also.”
That last line is the tell. Montgomery is willing to share, but he is not willing to disappear.
The numbers back up that he can still help. The 5-foot-11, 230-pound back has 6,115 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns in his career. In 2025, even with a smaller workload, he finished with 716 rushing yards and eight rushing scores and played more than 35% of the snaps in only one of Detroit’s final five regular-season games.
Detroit’s front office has real decisions coming. Gibbs is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. Montgomery is heading into the first year of a two-year extension of his own. The “Sonic and Knuckles” pairing remains one of the better one-two punches in the NFL, but Lions Wire notes the team could save $6 million on its 2026 cap if it trades Montgomery after June 1.
That is the tension underneath his calm tone. Publicly, Montgomery is selling the benefits of a deep backfield and leaning into being “an incredible teammate.” At the same time, every quote makes it obvious he still expects meaningful work in Detroit’s offense.
Montgomery talks Super Bowl hopes and new OC Drew Petzing as Lions try to climb out of the NFC North basement
Montgomery is not blind to how far the Lions fell in 2025. Detroit missed the postseason and finished last in the NFC North, a major step back after the surge that made them a trendy contender under Dan Campbell.
He did not pretend to have all the answers for what went wrong, and he made sure the blame stayed off his shoulders and his teammates’ shoulders. “I honestly can’t answer that question. That’s why they pay Brad, and that’s why they pay coach Campbell, to get the answers to those kind of questions. This I do know,Brad and coach Campbell, they work hard. It won’t be something we’ll be living in,” Montgomery said. “It’ll be corrected, and we’ll be right back to where we were before this year. We’re trying to go, we’re going to the Super Bowl.”
That is not subtle. When a 28-year-old running back talks about “we’re going to the Super Bowl” right after a last-place finish, he is telling fans he still sees himself inside the core of that turnaround.
The staff changes around him support that optimism. Detroit replaced offensive coordinator John Morton with Drew Petzing, who previously coordinated the Arizona Cardinals’ offense and helped James Conner stack back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Montgomery has already spoken with Petzing and liked what he heard.
“I talked to him briefly. It’s pretty evident that he knows exactly what has to happen, and he’s prepared for the task at hand,” Montgomery said. “It’ll be good to see what he implements in our offense and how we can improve better than we were last year.”
For a front office that has to juggle extensions for Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell, and possibly tight end Sam LaPorta after his back surgery, the cleanest cap move would be to move on from the veteran back and pocket the savings. Montgomery’s public tone pulls in the opposite direction. He is talking like someone who expects to be part of the solution, not a contract the team has to move.
Detroit can still decide to split up one of the league’s better backfield duos if the numbers demand it. But after a week of national interviews, it is clear Montgomery is not acting like a running back on the way out. He is treating 2025 as the down year the Lions fix, not the beginning of his exit.
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