Detroit

Lions

Anzalone was with the Lions when Aaron Glenn was their defensive coordinator, and Rosenblatt zeroed in on a quote from Glenn at the combine where he noted “I missed being able to be in the fire with those guys, being able to talk to the MIKE linebacker, being able to be in the meeting rooms and trying to put a game plan together to be successful against another team.” Anzalone was said MIKE linebacker. And it would make plenty of sense if he was Glenn’s MIKE again in 2026.

Glasgow has started 14 or more games in each of his three seasons with the Lions, but became expendable after the Lions went out and acquired Juice Scruggs in the trade that sent David Montgomery to the Texans. Even if Scruggs doesn’t win a starting job in camp, the acquisition made it fairly obvious that Glasgow wasn’t in the team’s plans for 2026. The veteran guard has 136 career starts to his name and will be 34 at the start of next season. He should have plenty of options to land a starting role next season with teams looking to bolster their interior line. Glasgow’s release will free up $5.5 million in cap space for the Lions this season.

The Lions also received a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Texans in the deal. Scruggs, who started just one of the 17 games he appeared in for the Texans last season, was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Penn State product played on 372 snaps as a guard for the Texans last season and started at guard in all 13 games he appeared in during the 2024 season. Scruggs may have to compete for a starting job this season with Tate Ratledge already occupying the right guard slot, and left guard Christian Mahogany still under contract after starting 11 games last season.

Just days after it was reported that Montgomery wanted out of Detroit — a report he refuted — the veteran running back is now on his way to Houston. The soon-to-be 29-year-old will presumably take over as the Texans’ RB1 this season with Joe Mixon likely on the way out, and Woody Marks an early candidate to handle more of a passing-downs role. Montgomery rushed 343 times for 1,491 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final two seasons in Detroit while catching another 60 passes for 533 scoreless yards. Barring an extension, Montgomery will enter 2026 with two years left on his contract with a chance to earn another deal in 2028. In addition to Scruggs, the Texans also sent a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Lions.

Montgomery took to his X account to quote a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that he wanted out of Detroit. The veteran running back wrote in his post, “Damn, Dmo told you that?” Suggesting reports of his desire to leave the Motor City are untrue. It’s not the first time we’ve seen players refute a report like this, and it won’t be the last. It’s also not uncommon to learn later down the road that these reports were true even if they didn’t come from the player himself. Either way, what we can confirm is that Montgomery had a career low in carries (158) and rushing yards (716) last season with the Lions and is under contract for two more seasons. With the Lions reportedly willing to move him for a Day 3 pick in this year’s draft, it’s possible his time with the team could come to an end whether he wants it to or not.

Montgomery “wants out” per Fowler, and Fowler connects him to the Seahawks if Seattle fails to re-sign Kenneth Walker. There’s an argument to be made that Montgomery would be an easy second place to Walker in the free agent rankings if he were actually a free agent. His workload has been kept low by years of splitting snaps with Jahmyr Gibbs, and he’s still in his late prime entering his age-29 season. The buzz continues to point towards Montgomery being moved.

He had contemplated retirement after seemingly spending the entire year on the injury report with a shoulder injury. It’s a big keep for the Lions, who appeared to have no real pathway to another stalwart left tackle from the outside. Decker’s return should solidify some of the offseason questions and direction for the Lions.

It sure sounds like the Lions could move on from Montgomery in a trade. Entering his age-29 season, Montgomery could emerge as a solid fantasy RB2 in the right situation this offseason. This Lions enter the offseason roughly $10 million over the cap, releasing Montgomery would free up $3.5 million. It is also possible that Montgomery simply wants a bigger role than he had down the stretch during Jahmyr Gibbs’ takeover. Montgomery had 10 or more carries just once after Week 10. Holmes said: “We’d love to have him ... But obviously a player has to want to be at a certain place as well.”

This will be the sixth regular season NFL game played in Germany as part of the league’s international series. It will feature Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, a German-American and the centerpiece of the Detroit offense. Last year St. Brown was fifth in receiving yards and fourth in wideout receptions. The Lions will be looking to bounce back from a relatively disappointing 2025 campaign after losing OC Ben Johnson to the Bears.

With Taylor Decker considering retirement after 10 seasons with the Lions, it’s no surprise the team is preparing in case the 31-year-old indeed decides to call it quits. While the Lions could address their long-term need at tackle with their first round pick, which is 17th overall, the organization will certainly sign a free agent tackle before then if Decker retires. The Lions are approaching this situation proactively after center Frank Ragnow retired late last offseason, which left the team unprepared. Braden Smith, Rasheed Walker, Trent Brown and Jermaine Eluemunor are some of the free agent tackles that could make sense for the Lions.