Most general manager will say next to nothing when the prospect of someone's departure comes up, lest they give away anything. Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is not most general managers. When he was asked if he expected a specific player back next season, he was candid to a fault.
"Obviously, I know it was a tough year for him in terms of the lack of touches. I'm not going to say I went into it planning for it to be that way. So, those are discussions that we're going to have to have a lot more depth in terms of, what's the best plan for him moving forward. Is that somewhere else, or whatever the case may be."
"I really appreciate everything he's done for us if it does go that way, but I hope it doesn't. We love David Montgomery. Those are conversations we're gonna have, I have a lot of respect for that player."
That sound you heard is any trade leverage the Lions had in regard to running back David Montgomery this offseason disappearing. Holmes indicated discussions would be had, and maybe they've been had now, with apparent openness to the possibility Montgomery will ask to be traded. A new offensive coordinator now being in place seems likely to impact Montgomery's desire to be elsewhere, one way or another.
While Montgomery's role was greatly reduced this season, despite Dan Campbell making it clear he wanted to rectify the situation, he showed he still has something left in the tank as his theoretical prime winds down. Despite facing the fifth-highest rate of eight-plus defenders in the box this season among running backs with at least 90 carries, according to Next Gen Stats, he was 11th in Rushing Yards Over Expected/Attempt.
In short, Montgomery will have some trade suitors if he's made available.
David Montgomery named trade target for AFC team looking to get back on track
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has offered three top offseason trade targets for each NFL team. Montgomery is the one Lion mentioned as a target for another team, which is no surprise since he's obviously the top (and really the only) one who lands as a viable trade candidate.
The team Ballentine thinks should target Montgomery shouldn't be a shocker either.
"David Montgomery would be a logical replacement for Kareem Hunt. He would only cost $3.5 million to the Chiefs this season and his role in Detroit dwindled this year behind Jahmyr Gibbs."
READ MORE: Projected trade moves for Lions cover all their bases (expensively) for 2026
The Chiefs could be a significant player in the free agent market at running back, with Breece Hall an easy potential target. But with Kareem Hunt and Isaiah Pacheco both free agents, an overturning of the backfield depth chart could be coming, via a free agent a tier or two below Hall and TBD other than that.
"TBD" could be someone like Montgomery, and it's safe to assume general manager Brett Veach heard Holmes basically declare his availability.
If Montgomery wants out of Detroit, he presumably would like to go to another contending team. The Chiefs are in that mix until further notice, and they're lined up to have room for him to notably contribute next season.
From the Lions' end, if they trade him, they'd probably prefer to send Montgomery to the AFC if possible. So the Chiefs are an easy match all the way around, and arguably the first team Holmes should call if he attempts to make the move he did not hide from as a possibility.