No-brainer David Montgomery-Jets trade package is too good for Lions to refuse

When John Morton was hired to replace Ben Johnson as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, a shift in the backfield workload split was somewhat easy to foresee. In a general way, leaning toward the younger and more dynamic Jahmyr Gibbs over David Montgomery made sense.

To say the idea of Gibbs becoming the Lions' clear lead running back has come to fruition is an understatement. Through 15 games Gibb had 207 carries and 279 touches, compared to 140 and 161 respectively for Montgomery. The snap split, with Gibbs playind 67 percent of the Lions' offensive snaps and Montgomery playing 37 percent of the snaps, was further reflective of the gap in involvement,

After head coach Dan Campbell first said he wanted to get him more touches, Montgomery had 39 carries over the following three games. Over the six games that followed, with Week 16's four carries and 13 offensive snaps a fairly inexplicable low point, Montgomery had 36 carries.

Montgomery also played less than 20 offensive snaps in three straight games heading into Christmas Day against the Minnesota Vikings, when he played 22 of 64 offensive snaps (a 34.4 percent snap share) and had double-digit carries for the first time since Week 10.

Campbell talked off-and-on for two months about getting Montgomery more involved. That three-game surge proved to not be sustainable, and it's hard to see why it hasn't come to fruition. If the play-caller, as Campbell has been since Week 10, wants it, he should be getting it. The Lions' game scripts have not been such as to basically eliminate Montgomery from the equation.

As Montgomery creeps closer to the proverbial "expiration date" for a running back (he'll turn 29 before the 2026 season starts), his reduced role in the Lions' offense this season is starting to push the conversation toward an uncomfortable spot.

Montgomery is not someone who will air his discontent in a overtly public way. So he when puts something like this on his Instagram story, with pads on a shelf in a locker as symbolism he feels like he's being left on the shelf, it lands as a subtle (or not-so subtle) hint about how he's feeling.

This David Montgomery trade proposal would be too good for the Lions to turn down

Even the vague idea of trading Montgomery in the offseason is already landing with a thud among Lions' fans. In concert with the previous sentiment about not overtly airing his unhappiness, he is unlikely to ask for a trade behind the scenes.

But if he doesn't have a notable role in the offense anymore, it'll be hard for the Lions to justify the remainder of a contract that has him among the 12 highest-paid running backs in the league right now based on per-year average. They need to find some margins to save money, particularly because a big contract for Gibbs is in the offing.

According to Over The Cap, trading Montgomery before June 1, 2026 would leave behind $4.86 million of his $8.37 million cap hit for next year as dead money. A post-June 1 trade shifts the 2026 cap savings to $6 million. And before it comes up, releasing him when he would clearly have trade value is not a good option.

The Lions will not trade Montgomery unless they can get fair value in return. A player that can help them win-now would be a prerequisite, and they could (should) get a draft pick too. With that first note in mind, it becomes difficult to fashion a list of potential suitors.

Difficult but not impossible, and an extensive list is not required. As the general cliche' goes, "it only takes one."

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With that in mind, we land on the New York Jets. Former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is the head coach there, and two former Lions assistants (offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand and offensive line coach Steve Heiden) are on the offensive staff. Assuming no changes after the season, Engstrand and Heiden will still be there next season.

The tea leaves also say running back Breece Hall will be leaving the Jets as a free agent in March, which would leave them with a lack of experience on that depth chart. A veteran back the coaches are familiar with, and who knows the roots of the offense Engstrand would like to be able to implement to a greater degree, looks like a nice potential fit.

The Jets are loaded with draft capital over the next two years. While they smartly offloaded a couple notable veterans before the trade deadline, they can probably still meet the Lions' presumed requirement to get a starting-caliber player in return for Montgomery.

So here's a possible trade proposal to give Montgomery a change of scenery in New York, and the Lions might not be able to (and should not) turn it down.

Tippmann was a second-round pick by the Jets in 2023. After mostly playing center over his first two seasons, he moved to right guard this season to accomodate the addition of veteran center Josh Myers. While he's been fine at right guard this season, as Pro Football Focus' No. 32 guard by overall grade entering Week 17, Tippmann was the site's eighth-highest graded center in 2024.

As the Lions try to find a long-term successor for Frank Ragnow, the 24-year old Tippman fits that bill with center looking like his best position. And with Myers under contract through 2027, he is blocked from playing there for the Jets right now.

Jets' fans will surely hate the idea of trading Tippmann, but he's a draft pick by the previous regime who is looking like an extra asset. A proverbial pick swap, with the Lions ceding the better asset there, and swap of players to fill a need for each team looks like a win-win trade.