Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery Get Matching ‘Sonic & Knuckles' Tattoos

The Detroit Lions split up running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery when they traded Montgomery to the Houston Texans in early March.

Gibbs and Montgomery shared the Lions’ backfield for three seasons and earned the nickname “Sonic & Knuckles” for their opposing, complementary running styles.

Gibbs posted a broken heart emoji in reaction to Montgomery’s trade, but while their days as teammates are over, their “Sonic & Knuckles” bond lives on.

On March 30, Montgomery shared an eerily real-looking Knuckles tattoo on his upper back.

On Thursday, No Pain by Ganga posted an Instagram carousel showing that he’d inked Gibbs’ elaborate back tattoo, which features a 3D-looking Sonic in the same area as Montgomery’s Knuckles:

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The Lions drafted Gibbs at No. 12 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, one month after Detroit signed Montgomery away from the Chicago Bears in free agency.

Montgomery’s most successful statistical season as a Lion came in 2023, when he rushed for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns. Gibbs immediately dazzled as a rookie, rushing for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Gibbs and Montgomery’s best collective season was 2024. Gibbs led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns, along with a career-high 1,412 yards, and caught 52 passes for 517 yards and four touchdowns. Montgomery complemented that with 775 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 rushing attempts. The Lions were a league-best 15-2 but lost their first playoff game to Washington.

Last season, Gibbs emerged as the central chess piece of the Lions’ offensive scheme, as he posted 1,839 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns. Montgomery scored eight touchdowns, but his 716 yards were a career low.

Overall, Montgomery (2023-25) and Gibbs (2023-25) joined Barry Sanders, Billy Sims, and Dutch Clark as the only players in Lions history with 2,500-plus yards and 30-plus touchdowns in their Lions career, per NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno.

After trading Montgomery, the Lions signed former Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco to a one-year contract to try to replicate the downhill punch Montgomery brought to the offense. Those will be big shoes to fill as the Lions try to bounce back from a disappointing 9-8 season.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 7:06 PM.