The Detroit Lions have been forced to operate without one of their top offensive pieces over the final three games of the regular season.
Running back David Montgomery was initially given a grim diagnosis when his knee injury was announced, as it was indicated that he would likely miss the remainder of the season. However, he sought out a second and third opinion and eventually elected to not get surgery.
As a result, Montgomery is expected to return to action on Saturday when the Lions take the field for the Divisional Round. How much he’ll carry the ball remains uncertain, but he offers a boost for the offense with his abilities, as well as simply his presence.
“It’ll mean a lot. Five’s a big part of us, he’s a huge part of us, and to me, he’s a bell cow, he’s somebody that – he’s a tone-setter, he’s a catalyst, so there’s a place for him,” said Dan Campbell Monday. “There’s a place for him here, so there’ll be a place for him in this game. So, it’s going to be good to get him back.”
The Lions’ fourth-year coach further elaborated on Montgomery’s status during his weekly appearance on 97.1 The Ticket. Detroit will evaluate his performance in practice throughout the week before making a final decision on what his role will be.
In Montgomery’s absence, running back Jahmyr Gibbs earned the NFC Player of the Month for his performance over December and into January. The two players can continue to compliment each other with Montgomery returning.
“Well, first of all, we’ll have our walkthrough today and really tomorrow will be our heavy lifting practice. So, I think the first thing is, he’s ready to come back. We know that he’s looked good in his rehabilitation, all those things. Let’s see him with bodies around, full-speed,” Campbell said. “We need to get a true gauge of just where he’s at, how far back is he? Get his confidence back in moving with the bodies around him, and then we can kind of gauge, ‘Okay, man. This is where David’s at. He looks great, feels great, is confident and this is what we’re gonna use him for.’
“So I hate to just say this is how much we’re gonna use him right out of the gate without having gone through practice,” Campbell continued. “But I do know this, provided there’s no set-backs, there is definitely a place in this game for David Montgomery.