The way the Bears describe things, David Montgomery chose to be a Lion this offseason rather than return to Chicago. But the Bears still love him.
Montgomery had one of the best games of his career on Thursday Night Football, toting the rock 32 times for 121 yards and three touchdowns with two catches for 20 more yards as the Lions dismantled the Packers 34-20 in primetime. His former teammates were watching and they liked what they saw.
“Every time he runs the ball he runs it like it’s his last run of his career,” said Justin Fields. “When you can break a tackle at the line of scrimmage and get six yards, that’s efficient for an offense, it tires the defense down.
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“Kudos to him, I’m happy to see him going off in Detroit. I know the kind of teammate he is, the kind of person he is, so it’s cool to see.”
When Montgomery signed with the Lions in free agency this year the expectation was he would slide into Jamaal Williams former role as a short-yardage back who would get plenty of scoring opportunities near the goal line. When the Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round, he seemed destined to take a complementary role. However, Montgomery has worked as a clear bellow in the early goings of the season. When Montgomery and Gibbs have both played, Montgomery has outcarried the rookie 69 to 22.
“Them just feeding him the ball and him just being DMo, it was great,” said Jaquan Brisker. “I definitely support him.”
“He’s a dog. He’s a dog,” said Eddie Jackson, while barking like a dog.
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Wide receiver Darnell Mooney assessed Montgomery similarly, and added he was happy that Montgomery got a career first.
“That’s my dog,” Mooney said. “I texted him the first time when they played Kansas City, I sent him a lil emoji like [Mooney salutes], like ‘I see you.’ I know he’s feeling good. I think it’s the first time he’s ever beat Green Bay (Ed note: It was.). I’m still looking for that one. I know he felt good. He looks good. Glad to see him in the endzone a lot of times.”
The Bears brass made it clear they loved Montgomery and wanted to bring him back to the team this year, but Montgomery ultimately landed in Detroit. Former Bears GM Ryan Pace selected Montgomery in the third round of the 2019 draft. In four seasons with the Bears, Montgomery racked up 3,609 rushing yards, 1,240 receiving yards and scored 30 total touchdowns.