Detroit hasn't made any definitive decisions on David Montgomery's future yet, but the Lions have been rumored to be interested in shopping him as soon as the NFL Combine this weekend.
Montgomery was unhappy with his role in John Morton's offense this past season, often getting placed in the backseat for the entirety of games in favor of Jahmyr Gibbs. He's spoken with new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, but in an interview with Pride of Detroit recently, Petzing made sure to emphasize that his conversation with Montgomery was purely introductory.
If Detroit were to trade Montgomery this offseason, they'll be right back in the market for a starting running back to pair with Gibbs in an attempt to likely rekindle the magic of Sonic and Knuckles. One back the Lions could target is Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, who was just passed up for a franchise tag from the Seattle Seahawks and is a free agent this offseason.
Walker could be a great get for Lions if Montgomery asks out
Walker is part of the one-two punch already existent in Seattle with himself and Zach Charbonnet, with Walker taking on a role more similar to that of Gibbs.
That could make the fit clunky. After all, Walker is another starting running back that'd be taking a back seat to Gibbs in any Lions offense. Detroit might feel more comfortable targeting a running back in free agency who is okay with stepping to the side in favor of more Gibbs carries.
One push back there is that Petzing is going to want to pound the ground as evidenced in his time with the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona was second league-wide between 2023 and 2025 in rushing average, and ninth in rushing yards, over his three seasons with the team. He's going to want to utilize as much running back talent as Detroit rosters, and they currently roster some of the best in the NFL.
READ MORE: 5 free agent running back targets for the Lions if David Montgomery is traded
If Montgomery does walk, then adding someone like Walker to the team - someone who has proven he can blast off with even a smidge of space, and someone with the strength to bulldoze through tackles in a way that Gibbs doesn't - is a huge boost to what Petzing probably wants to do with the Lions.
Per Spotrac, Walker's market currently stands at $9 million per year, with a projected contract set to look like 4 years, $36 million. Detroit has to focus on other areas of need with whatever cap space they clear through restructurings and cuts, such as at center, tackle, and edge rusher. But, running back can't be ignored as a room in need of some major TLC if Montgomery does officially ask out.