On Thursday morning, former Chicago Bear and current Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery was forced to leave practice early due to an apparent lower leg injury.
Former Chicago Bears running back leaves practice under his own power
After signing a four-year deal with Detroit this offseason, Montgomery is expected to be a key component of a revamped Lions offense that finished last season third in total yards and fourth in total offensive touchdowns. Despite being forced to leave OTAs early due to his injury, it does not appear that this injury will cost Montgomery any time going forward.
Montgomery left the practice field on Thursday, and while he did not return after his injury, the running back was able to make it back to the locker room under his own power. Montgomery was not the only Lions player to leave practice early, as linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez also left the field, under his own power, and failed to return. Again, it appears that neither player's injury is too serious, and shouldn't affect their availability for the beginning of the 2023 NFL season.
If there is any silver lining for the Lions, and to a lesser degree Montgomery, the team should get a better look at rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who the team selected 12th overall in last month's NFL Draft. Gibbs missed parts of his rookie minicamp with an ankle injury but appears to be good to go for OTAs. While the Lions look to use both backs throughout the year, potentially with both players on the field at the same time, Gibbs could use more experience in practice than a four-year veteran like Montgomery.
David Montgomery’s recent comments on time with Chicago Bears
Outside of this unfortunate incident on Thursday, Montgomery has been in the news recently after stating how excited he is to play for Detroit, especially after his up-and-down time in Chicago:
" got to a point where it sucked the fun out of the game for me because I'm a competitor. I like to compete. That's what football is about. It's so refreshing to be in a place where that's appreciated".
While these comments have garnered a variety of reactions from Bears fans over the past couple of days, it is important to remember the quality of football Montgomery played while in Chicago, as the Iowa State product averaged over 1,200 total yards per year through four seasons with the Bears.
The competitor that he is, Montgomery's return to Chicago as a Lion should be a highly anticipated matchup during this upcoming season. With Montgomery likely looking for revenge against the team who failed to resign him or apply the franchise tag this offseason, the Bears, specifically the defense, may take exception to his recent comments.
More importantly, Montgomery will hopefully be able to quickly recover from the injury he suffered this Thursday. There is no reason to root against Montgomery's potential success in Detroit, especially when it comes to his health.