Texans Trade for David Montgomery
The Houston Texans acquired running back David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions in exchange for a draft pick, giving Houston a proven backfield presence. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to release offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor in a cap-cutting move to save $20 million in salary.
The trade for David Montgomery involved more than just a single pick; the Texans sent offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round selection to the Lions. Montgomery was seeking a larger role after his usage in Detroit decreased significantly. In the 2025 season, Montgomery's role diminished as Jahmyr Gibbs took over as the lead back, resulting in career-lows of 158 carries and 716 rushing yards for Montgomery. He still proved effective in a limited capacity, scoring eight touchdowns. He has two years and no guaranteed money remaining on his contract. The acquisition signals a clear effort by Houston to upgrade its ground attack. The move likely spells the end for running back Joe Mixon's time with the Texans; Mixon missed the entire 2025 season with a foot injury, and releasing him would save the team $8 million in cap space. For the Chiefs, releasing Jawaan Taylor was a necessary financial decision. The move frees up $20 million in salary cap space, though it comes with a dead money charge of over $7 million. Taylor was set to have a cap hit of $27.4 million in 2026. Taylor's tenure in Kansas City was marred by frequent penalties. After signing a four-year, $80 million deal in 2023, he led the NFL with 21 accepted penalties in his debut season with the team and remained one of the league's most-penalized players through 2025. The roster move is one of several for the cap-strapped Chiefs, who entered the offseason over the league's salary limit. The team had previously restructured quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract to create additional financial flexibility ahead of the new league year.
