Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery was a fan-favorite during his four seasons with the Chicago Bears. The 2019 third-round pick from Iowa State ran with a contagious ferocity that always seemed to get the offense's juices flowing. He provided a spark that has been missing from the Bears through three games this season.
Montgomery starred in the Lions' victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 4's Thursday Night Football matchup. He had an old-school 32 carries for 121 yards and three touchdowns. It was a throwback performance for a player who could've had similar production for the Bears had they ever chosen to use him that way.
Former coach Matt Nagy was infamous for dumping cold water on Montgomery whenever he began heating up. Productive series were followed by, at times, quarters without Montgomery getting a touch. It was infuriating for Bears fans who sought an identity for Chicago's offense.
Despite missing Week 3 with a thigh injury, Montgomery has 69 carries on the season, putting him on pace for 293 carries in 2023. The most carries Montgomery ever had in one season with the Bears came in 2020 when he toted the rock 247 times. It was his most productive season (1,070 yards, 8 TDs, 4.3 yards per carry) and proves he's the kind of runner who needs a heavier workload to be effective.
"He does get better throughout the game," quarterback Jared Goff said of Montgomery Thursday night. "He gets better the more he gets hit and sees the holes and sees what's going on. He did get better throughout the game."
The Lions signed Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million contract in free agency, which was considered a great deal for him in a market that refuses to pay top dollar to running backs. But when Detroit selected Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, it appeared Montgomery's chance to finally be a bell-cow back was lost.
However, lions head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had a plan for Montgomery all along, and it's paying dividends early in 2023.
Now, David Montgomery finally knows what it feels like to dominate the Packers at Lambeau Field.
"It definitely felt great," Montgomery said of the win in Green Bay. "You know I haven't been able to do that, but to come here with the group of guys that I'm able to play with, it's a blessing."
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