HOUSTON – The Texans have adjusted and upgraded new running back David Montgomery’s contract following his trade from the Detroit Lions.
Montgomery is due $16.5 million over the next two seasons on a deal that includes a $6.5 million signing bonus, per an NFL source. The revised deal, filed to the league, has a $1.5 million base salary this year that is fully guaranteed and up to $500,000 in per game active roster bonuses. His first-year payout is up to $8.5 million.
Next year, he is due a $7.5 million salary with $2 million of it guaranteed and a total of $500,000 in per game active roster bonuses.
The Texans traded for Montgomery in exchange for offensive guard Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round selection and a seventh-round pick, per league sources.
Montgomery, 28, was previously due a nonguaranteed $5.49 million base salary this year and $7.49 million in 2027 with void years in 2028 and 2029.
“Houston was definitely the place that I wanted to go,” Montgomery said Friday during a virtual press conference with Houston reporters. “I was in Detroit, a very successful organization, and I practiced against Houston a couple of times and they’ve always been the hardest team to practice against.
“So, you can tell the morale, the mentality that coach Ryans brings to the table too. You also get to look at yourself like, ‘Dang, if I ever had an opportunity, I would love to play for a guy like that.’ Look, I’m here now getting to play under a guy like that, and I want to come in and show these guys that I could hang with the big dawgs.”
Montgomery, a 716-yard, eight-touchdown rusher on 158 carries last season for the Lions working behind star runner Jahmyr Gibbs, had wanted to be traded to have an expanded role. Montgomery is a bruising, tackle-breaking 5-foot-11, 230-pounder who can run inside effectively. His nickname is “Knuckles.”
A former Chicago Bears third-round draft pick, Montgomery has rushed for 6,115 career yards and 59 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns his first season in Detroit in 2023 and 775 yards and 12 touchdowns two seasons ago. His career-high for rushing yards is 1,070 yards in 2020 in Chicago, his second season in the league.
Montgomery finished his Lions career with 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in three seasons. He had 1,015 yards, the second most of his career, in 2023.
Montgomery rushed for 4.5 yards per carry last season and has averaged 4.1 yards per run for his career. The Texans’ running game ranked 22nd overall, 3.9 yards per carry, 29th in the NFL, and 31st with nine touchdown runs. They badly needed reinforcements. Montgomery provides that anchor for their running game.
Montgomery played in every game last season. He caught 24 passes for 192 yards on 29 targets. He has 231 career receptions for 1,890 yards and four touchdowns.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
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