David Montgomery is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 15. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents during the two-day negotiating period on March 13, but if it were up to Montgomery, he’d remain a member of the Chicago Bears.
“I love the Bears. I love the organization,” Montgomery said on FanDuel TV. “I love how the city treated me, and they got a good thing going over there.”
Montgomery has been the Bears’ primary running back since joining the team as a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. The former Iowa State star emerged as a starter during his rookie season when he finished with 889 yards and six touchdowns. In 2020, Montgomery topped 1,000 rushing yards, but he hasn’t had more than 850 yards in either of the last two years.
Still, Montgomery’s value to the Bears extends beyond his stats. He’s a big part of the culture that coach Matt Eberflus is trying to build in Chicago, and general manager Ryan Poles said at the end of the season that he’d love to have Montgomery back in 2023.
