Chicago Bears: Projecting 2021 offensive stats for the running backs

Projecting 2021 stats for Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery

David Montgomery quietly had a breakout season in 2020. He was tied for fifth in the league with 1,070 yards. He was somewhat average in the touchdown department though with only eight. I have him besting that number slightly in 2021. He saw five rushes of over 20 yards – also put him in the middle of the pack. He had two runs of 40+, which tied for sixth in the league with multiple other running backs. The leaders in that category were Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones with four.

With the addition of Damien Williams and the return of Tarik Cohen, I do not foresee Montgomery finishing out the year with stats that are vastly better than his 2020 stats.

Rushing Attempts: 240
Rushing Yards: 1,097
Rushing TDs: 10
Yards Per Carry (YPC): 4.6
Targets: 55
Receptions: 40
Receiving Yards: 309
Receiving TDs: 1

This is almost a mirrored image of what David Montgomery did in 2020. I see him finishing with just slightly fewer carries than he had last year, but slightly more yards. He will also score a few more touchdowns than he did last year.

The emergence of Justin Fields as a running threat will help Montgomery be slightly more efficient, but it will also limit his touches. Seeing Tarik Cohen return should also cut into Montgomery’s receiving touches.

Overall, I think Montgomery flirts with a top-five rushing performance in 2021 but will find himself lower in certain areas such as receiving.