The Texans have revised the contract of running back David Montgomery, who they traded for at the start of the league year.
He will receive a raise, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC, now due $16.5 million over the next two seasons on a deal that includes a $6.5 million signing bonus.
Montgomery, 28, will have a fully guaranteed $1.5 million base salary this year and can earn a total of $500,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. His first-year payout is up to $8.5 million.
In 2027, Montgomery is scheduled to have a $7.5 million salary, $2 million of which is guaranteed, and a total of $500,000 in per-game active roster bonuses.
He was previously due a non-guaranteed $5.49 million base salary this year and $7.49 million in 2027 with void years in 2028 and 2029.
Montgomery totaled 158 carries for 716 yards and eight touchdowns for the Lions last season, playing behind Jahmyr Gibbs. He requested a trade for an expanded role elsewhere, and the Lions sent him to Houston for offensive guard Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round selection and a seventh-round pick.
“Houston was definitely the place that I wanted to go,” Montgomery said Friday, via Wilson. “I was in Detroit, a very successful organization, and I practiced against Houston a couple of times and they’ve always been the hardest team to practice against.”
Lions Clips
Cornerback Darius Slay said recently that no team other than the Eagles should call him about playing in 2026, but now it seems that even the Eagles shouldn’t bother reaching out to him.
In a post to X.com on Monday, Slay announced that he is retiring from the NFL. Slay wrote that he has reached the time for a “new chapter” and that he’s “ready to turn the page” on an NFL career that began as a Lions second-round pick in 2013.
Slay remained with the Lions through the 2019 season and made an All-Pro team before moving on to the Eagles in a trade in 2020. He helped the Eagles to an NFC title after the 2022 season and won a Super Bowl in his final game with the team.
Slay signed a one-year deal with the Steelers in 2025, but was waived by a mutual agreement in December. He was claimed off of waivers by the Bills and declined to report amid speculation that he hoped to return to the Eagles.
Slay had 655 tackles, 28 interceptions, two forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and six touchdowns over the course of his career.
The Lions have reached a deal with their second free agent defensive back of the week.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that they have agreed to sign cornerback Roger McCreary. It is a one-year deal for McCreary, who joins Christian Izien as newcomers to the defensive backfield in Detroit.
McCreary was a Titans 2022 second-round pick and he played in 55 games for the team before being traded to the Rams during the 2025 season. McCreary had 12 tackles for the Rams in nine games across the regular season and playoffs. He had 253 tackles, three interceptions, four sacks, and a forced fumble while in Tennessee.
Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, Ennis Rakestraw, Khalil Dorsey, Rock-Ya Sin, and Nick Whiteside are also on hand at cornerback for the Lions.
Veteran tight end Tyler Conklin’s next stop will be Detroit.
Conklin’s agent Mike McCartney announced that his client has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Lions.
Conklin is making the move to the NFC North after spending last season with the Chargers. He had seven catches for 101 yards while appearing in 13 games and making five starts.
That came after a three-year run that saw Conklin catch 170 passes for 1,622 yards and seven touchdowns with the Jets.
Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Zach Horton, and Thomas Gordon are the other tight ends on the roster for the Lions.
Free agent running back Isiah Pacheco signed with the Lions to back up Jahmyr Gibbs, and Pacheco says he’s ready to do whatever he can in a backup role.
Pacheco said at an introductory press conference in Detroit that he admires what the Lions have built and will contribute in any way he can, on the field or off.
“Jahmyr is a hell of a player,” Pacheco said. “Hats off to him and the guys who have been putting in work here for a couple years now. Me looking from the outside in, it’s a hell of a group, and whatever I can do to contribute to the team is going to happen. Whether that’s punting the ball, whatever it’s at, no matter where I’m at on the field, cheering the guys on, bringing excitement to the team, bringing leadership, accountability.”
Pacheco won two Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs, and he said he was offered the opportunity to remain in Kansas City but felt that Detroit was the best place for him.
“I’ve been a two-time champ, I’m not satisfied though. I’m more hungry than I ever was and I’m ready to get to work,” Pacheco said. “I’m hungry and I want to win it here, not anywhere else.”
The Buccaneers have agreed to terms with edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad on a one-year deal with a maximum value of $6 million, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.
Muhammad was in Tampa for a visit on Thursday.
He ranks 59th on PFT’s list of this year’s top free agents.
Muhammad made a career-high 11 sacks, while playing a rotational role for the Lions during the 2025 season. Muhammad also had three sacks in nine games after joining the team in 2024.
Muhammad also played in 80 games for the Saints, Colts and Bears before landing with the Lions.
The Buccaneers lost defensive lineman Logan Hall to the Texans this week.
The Buccaneers are bringing in a possible free agent addition for a visit.
According to multiple reports, they are meeting with defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad on Thursday. Muhammad was the No. 59 player on PFT’s list of this year’s top free agents.
Muhammad set a career high with 11 sacks while playing a rotational role for the Lions during the 2025 season. Muhammad also had three sacks in nine games after joining the team the previous year.
Muhammad also played in 80 games for the Saints, Colts and Bears before landing with the Lions.
The Buccaneers lost a defensive lineman when Logan Hall agreed to sign with the Texans this week.
The Lions are adding to their secondary.
Detroit is signing cornerback Christian Izien to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports.
Izien, 25, joined Tampa Bay as an underrated free agent in 2023. He appeared in 17 games with four starts as a rookie before playing 14 games with 10 starts in 2024. He was on the field for 14 games with one start in 2025, getting 50 percent of special teams reps in games played, along with 20 percent of defensive snaps.
He’s tallied five passes defensed, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles in his 45 career games.
The Buccaneers did not place a restricted free agent tender on Izien earlier this month, making him an unrestricted free agent available to sign with any team. The Bucs reportedly had interest in bringing him back, but were unable to do so.
The Lions kicked off the new league year by kicking defensive lineman Josh Paschal off the roster.
The Lions announced Paschal’s release shortly after the 2026 league year began at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The move clears Paschal’s entire cap hit of just over $1.75 million for the coming season.
Paschal was a 2022 second-round pick in Detroit and played in 40 games for the team in the regular season and playoffs before missing all of 2025 due to a back injury.
Paschal had 69 tackles, five sacks and two fumble recoveries during his time with the team.
Defensive linemen D.J. Reader, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Marcus Davenport also became free agents at the start of the league year.
Defensive end Tyrus Wheat is headed back to Dallas.
According to multiple reports, Wheat has agreed to sign with the Cowboys. Wheat played in Dallas during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but left to play for the Lions in 2025.
The Lions opted not to tender Wheat with a contract as an exclusive rights free agent, which left him available to return to the Cowboys.
Wheat had 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 15 appearances for Detroit last season. He had 17 tackles and a half-sack in his 20 appearances with the Cowboys during his first stint with the team.
