As he steams down the tracks, David Montgomery is just getting started in Detroit.
The Lions have signed Montgomery to a two-year, $18.25 million extension, per ESPN, keeping their freight train of a running back under contract through the 2027 season. News of the extension was first reported by Dan Miller.
Montgomery has been a force for the Lions since arriving last season, piling up 4.6 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns in 18 games. He personifies the team's downhill identity on offense, while combining with Jahmyr Gibbs to form arguably the best running back tandem in the NFL.
'Sonic and Knuckles' is their new nickname, a nod to the old Sega video game, with Gibbs providing the supersonic speed and Montgomery supplying the brute strength. Through four games this season, they're both on pace to rush for 1,000 yards. Now the Lions' one-two punch is secured for at least the next three seasons.
Montgomery, 27, is in the second season of the three-year, $18 million deal he signed with the Lions in 2023. He deserved a raise given his production and the way some of his peers got paid last offseason, with running backs like D'Andre Swift, Tony Pollard and Joe Mixon all making more more than him. His salary ranked 15th at his position, after he ranked in the top 10 last season in yards, yards per carry and touchdowns.
Montgomery's new salary ($9.125 million) ranks sixth, behind only Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs. It's another example of the Lions taking care of their own, as they did last offseason in extending Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and more recently Taylor Decker, four more pillars of their elite offense.
Montgomery is one of the most popular players in the Lions' locker room. The offensive linemen, in particular, rave about him.
"He doesn't get enough credit for how good of a player he is," Decker said last week after Montgomery's highlight-reel run in the Lions' win over Seattle. "He's without question, in my opinion, one of the best backs in the NFL. The guy's incredible. He's a tone-setter for us. And just his demeanor, you want to block for a guy like that. Really special player and an awesome teammate."
Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow: "Just a badass dude who frickin’ runs with a purpose. It seems like every run, he’s making someone pay if they want to try and tackle him. It’s an honor to block for him. Just violent."
Guard Graham Glasgow: "David is like a man possessed at some points in the game. He doesn’t care, he’ll put his head down and try to run through somebody. And it’s awesome to see. It’s easy to want to block for someone who’s going to try to get the extra yards as much as he can. He’s a tank."
Despite his consistent production, Montgomery has always felt overlooked in the NFL. He's been clear about that in Detroit, noting earlier this season, "I've been in the league going on my sixth year and I’ve never been (considered a) top back or the best, so it’s cool." He said that he gets "labeled a lot for what people say that I can't do."
The Lions know what he can do, which is all that matters to Montgomery.
"When I step in this building, I feel loved," he said. "The coaches, my peers, they know what I’m capable of. It feels good to know that the guys in the locker room support me in the way that they do and it definitely helps me knowing that they trust me a lot, too."