Running back David Montgomery has officially signed a two-year, $18.25 million contract extension with the Detroit Lions, securing his position with the team through the 2027 season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes $10.5 million in new guaranteed money, making Montgomery the seventh-highest-paid running back in the NFL based on new money per year at $9.125 million.
The Lions announced the extension on Saturday evening but did not disclose specific terms.
Montgomery, 27, still had two years remaining on his previous contract, but the Lions opted to solidify their running back duo of him and second-year player Jahmyr Gibbs early on. This season, Montgomery ranks as Detroit’s second-leading rusher with 271 yards and four touchdowns from a team-high 63 carries, while Gibbs has contributed 285 rushing yards on 54 attempts and three touchdowns.
After joining the Lions as an unrestricted free agent in 2023, following four seasons with the Chicago Bears, Montgomery has started all 18 games he’s played for Detroit. Following a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, Gibbs stated that he and Montgomery are the best running back duo in the NFL. “I don’t think it’s close at all,” Gibbs told ESPN. “We both can do everything, making it tough for defenses to scheme against us. Our production backs that up.”
Montgomery is currently on a seven-game streak with a rushing touchdown, tying him with Billy Sims (1980-81) for the longest in franchise history, according to ESPN Research. Since joining the Lions, he has scored 17 rushing touchdowns, which ranks fourth in the league during that time, with only Derrick Henry, Raheem Mostert, and Kyren Williams ahead of him with 18 each.
