The Detroit Lions lost several defensive players for the season in their 48-42 Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Now, one of their top offensive contributors is also dealing with a significant injury.
However, Montgomery’s status for the remainder of the season is now in doubt. He is expected to be out indefinitely, and the Lions will be without him for their potential playoff run.
Here’s the latest on Montgomery’s injury.
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David Montgomery injury update
Dan Campbell announced Monday that Montgomery suffered an injury during Sunday’s game that would require season-ending knee surgery.
‘David’s so tough,’ Campbell told reporters. ‘He continued to play through and then got it checked out today, and we realized that’s what that was. He’s just the ultimate teammate. The ultimate competitor. We’re gonna miss him.’
Montgomery was ‘undergoing additional testing’ Monday and planned to get a second opinion on his injured knee, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, Schefter reports that Montgomery would likely be out long-term if the expected MCL sprain was diagnosed.
‘There are people in the Lions’ organization who believe that David Montgomery will be lost for the season with his sprained MCL, but there are additional tests to go through,’ Schefter wrote on X (formerly Twitter). ‘Either way he’s out indefinitely, if not for the season.’
Campbell confirmed the team’s suspicions by announcing the season-ending surgery.
Montgomery managed just 4 yards on 5 carries against the Bills because of his injury. He added 31 yards on 4 catches.
Montgomery will finish the 2024 season with 775 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 185 carries. He also has 341 receiving yards and has logged his sixth consecutive season with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards to start his NFL career.
Lions RB depth chart: Who is David Montgomery’s backup?
Gibbs, a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has racked up 1,047 yards and 11 touchdowns on 186 carries while adding 395 yards and 3 touchdowns on 39 catches this season. He has played 54.3% of the team’s offensive snaps, but even with a larger share, he will need to be spelled on occasion by the team’s running back depth.
Below is a look at who else the team has in its organization behind Gibbs:
Jahmyr Gibbs
Craig Reynolds
Sione Vaki
Jermar Jefferson (practice squad)
Reynolds has averaged 4.3 yards per carry during his four seasons with the Lions, so the 5-11, 216-pound back would likely replace Montgomery as the more physical counterpart to Gibbs (5-9, 200 pounds).
