David Montgomery admits breakup with Jahmyr Gibbs was always going to happen

David Montgomery knew the writing was on the wall. He just didn’t want to read it until he had to.

The former Lions running back opened up about his trade to Houston during a recent appearance on the podcast Deebo & Joe. And he didn’t sugarcoat things. Montgomery said splitting from Detroit and Jahmyr Gibbs felt like something that was always going to happen eventually, even if he wished it hadn’t.

“When I was in Detroit, I thought I was going to be there for the rest of my career,” Montgomery said. “I love the City of Detroit. They showed me an immense amount of love. Coach Campbell, a dope coach, you know. But when you start to get a little older playing the game, at a professional level, and you start to kind of see how things unfold, you gotta get met with like a tough decision. And you know, I was met with that.”

The Lions shipped Montgomery to the Texans earlier this offseason, officially ending the Sonic and Knuckles backfield that had become a signature of Detroit’s offense. It was a duo that produced in a way few NFL tandems ever have. But Gibbs quickly emerged as one of the league’s most explosive backs, and Montgomery’s role shrank a little more each season.

He knew where things were headed.

“It was inevitable that it was happening,” Montgomery said. “I mean, me and Jahmyr were doing stuff together that was amazing. Like, we will go down, this, I don’t care what nobody says, I think we were the best running back duo to kind of do it together.”

Montgomery isn’t bitter about the way things ended. That’s not his style. He made a point to separate his feelings about the city and the organization from the business side of the game. Detroit fans embraced him, and he still calls the city home in his heart. But Houston is where he plays now, and he sounds ready to move forward.

“But I’m always going to have love for Detroit,” Montgomery concluded. “That’s always going to be home for me and I’m always going to love that city. But, I’m in Houston now.”

He won’t have to wait long to see his old teammates. The Lions and Texans are scheduled to face off in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. Expect some handshakes and maybe a few laughs before kickoff. But once the ball is snapped, Montgomery will be on the other side. And that’s just how the league works.