After the NFL Combine, the offseason is starting to ramp up, and big trades/signings should be happening all around the league. The Houston Texans are very busy in the trade market right before free agency, just adding a new starting running back, David Montgomery.
Houston Texans Make a Move To Replace Injured Joe Mixon
In the 2025 offseason, Texans starting running back Joe Mixon went down with an injury that has sparked some mystery. The severity of said injury was enough to knock him out of the season, and the Texans’ run game was nowhere near as good as it should have been.
Woody Marks and Nick Chubb were the two starters, and they struggled. Per PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, Marks was ranked 44th overall with a 51.0 impact score, and Chubb was ranked 52nd with a 39.0 impact score.
This offseason, Houston needed to find a new running back to rely upon, especially with Mixon’s future being a complete unknown, and it seems they have found their guy. The Texans have traded for Detroit Lions’ David Montgomery.
Trade! The Lions are sending RB David Montgomery to the Texans, sources tell The Insiders. pic.twitter.com/ojzZyHVqZN
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 2, 2026
Houston sent Detroit offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 4th-round selection, and a 7th-round selection.
The Lions had an interesting situation in their running back room. Star Jahmyr Gibbs has completely taken over and is getting more and more snaps each season. With that being the case, Montgomery’s snaps were dropping, even though he is still a great player. It was clear he could start elsewhere, and with the running back position being a need for many teams around the NFL, someone was bound to be interested in the veteran.
Update on terms: It’s the #Texans fourth rounder, OL Juice Scruggs, and a 7th rounder for David Montgomery, per sources.
So, fifth-round value. But a complex deal. https://t.co/jG9nKIFmrL
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2026
Looking at his contract, Montgomery is on a two-year, $18.25 million deal that runs through the 2027 season. He is set to turn 29 this offseason, so his time playing at a high level may be close to coming to an end. This should be a bit of a worry for the Texans, but this move is all about the team’s short-term success.
If Houston could also get a young running back in the draft to develop behind Montgomery, this could be an excellent situation for the future as well.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
