After months of rumors, the Detroit Lions have traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round draft pick, and a seventh-round draft pick.
With "Knuckles" gone, the Lions will need to find a "Tails" to pair with Jahmyr Gibbs' "Sonic," and the hiring of new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing may clue into who that RB could be.
The Arizona Cardinals are widely expected to cut RB James Connor, saving the team $7.5 million after signing him to a two-year, $19 million deal prior to the 2025 season.
The two-time Pro Bowler turns 31 in May and has been a strong veteran presence in the Cardinals' running back room since joining the team in 2021 after a four-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Conner quickly left his mark on the Cardinals with 15 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns in his first season with the team. In the three seasons that followed, Conner rushed for at least seven TDs and caught at least one. Notably, Montgomery did not have a single receiving TD with the Lions.
The big elephant in the room with Conner is his 2025 season, which ended early after a season-ending right ankle injury. Connor played just three games, rushing for 95 yards on 32 attempts, with 38 receiving yards, and two total TDs.
Such an injury is never ideal for a RB, especially one now in his 30s. However, Conner could provide a low-cost veteran backup option for a Lions team tight on cash. And if anyone out there could get great production out of Conner, it's Petzing -- he's done it before.
Drew Petzing brought out the best of Conner
Petzing joined the Cardinals in 2023 to be their OC and proved to be a match made in heaven for Conner.
In his first two seasons under Petzing, Conner reached career highs in rushing yards, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Conner averaged 73.6 rushing yards per game and 19.96 receiving yards per game across those two seasons. That 73.6 yards per game would be higher than Montgomery's career high of 72.5 set in the 2023 season.
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Conner's injury also partially explains Petzing's rough ending with the Cardinals. The Cardinals went 2-1 in Conner's starts, and 1-13 after. Despite scoring roughly the same amount of points after Conner's injury (20.93) as before (20.66), the Cardinals rushed for 100 yards four times the rest of the season. With Conner? Twice in three games.
Of course, Conner wouldn't be expected to reach those heights with the Lions, as Gibbs will be the Lions' primary back. If healthy and willing to take a backup job, Conner would give the Lions a reliable short-term RB who could match Montgomery's production under an OC with whom he has a strong track record.
At the very least, Conner should help take some of the sting away from the Lions trading away a beloved fan-favorite.