What would David Montgomery trade mean for Detroit Lions' salary cap?

According to an ESPN report, Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery wants out.

It's a development that the Lions' organization has been bracing for, but Detroit general manager Brad Holmes indicated this past week that he and the Lions wanted Montgomery back for the 2026 NFL season.

"We’d love to have him," Holmes said. "Kind of want to put last year in the rearview and just move forward. But obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. So those conversations are still fluid and we’ll just kind of see how it goes."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday that the Lions are looking for a "decent Day 3 pick," such as a fifth-rounder in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft.

If the Lions were to deal Montgomery, what would it mean for Detroit's 2026 NFL salary cap situation?

David Montgomery 2026 salary cap impact if traded

• Current 2026 cap hit: $8.37 million
• 2026 dead cap in pre-June 1 trade: $4.86 million
• 2026 cap savings in pre-June 1 trade: $3.5 million
• 2026 dead cap in post-June 1 trade: $2.37 million
• 2027 dead cap in post-June 1 trade: $2.49 million
• 2026 cap savings in post-June 1 trade: $6 million

Per Spotrac, Montgomery is owed $5.49 million in base salary and $510,000 in per-game roster bonuses in 2026. Montgomery is also owed $2.37 million in signing bonuses.

If Montgomery is traded before June 1, the Lions would incur $4.86 million in dead cap next season while netting $3.5 million in 2026 cap savings. If Montgomery is traded after June 1, the Lions could spread out the dead cap hit over two seasons, meaning $2.37 million in dead cap in 2026 and $2.49 million in dead cap in 2027. The Lions would net $6 million in 2026 cap savings if Montgomery is a post-June 1 trade.

Both of those dead-money and cap savings figures are the same if Montgomery were to be released, but the Lions will obviously work to receive some form of compensation for Montgomery.

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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: What would David Montgomery trade mean for Detroit Lions' salary cap?