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The Chicago Bears just got lucky. During practice on Wednesday, second-year running back David Montgomery was carted off with a groin injury of unknown severity. Montgomery reportedly limped around the practice field before ultimately being driven to the locker room. He slipped before taking a hand off from quarterback Mitch Trubisky, clutching his left leg after he hit the turf.
Video of Montgomery getting injured later surfaced on Twitter, and it’s clear he was in pain after hitting the ground.
Fortunately for Chicago, the latest report by NFL insider Ian Rapoport has the Bears’ starting running back out 2-4 weeks, which makes it possible Montgomery could play in the Bears’ season opener September 13 against the Detroit Lions.
Bears head coach Matt Nagy seemed optimistic that Montgomery’s injury wasn’t too serious when he spoke to the media yesterday, and thankfully for Bears fans and fantasy football owners everywhere, that seems to be the case.
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Montgomery Put in Tons of Work This Offseason…
Montgomery worked out hardcore this offseason, and got into the best shape of his life as a result, so hopefully, he can return in a safe-yet-expedient fashion. He lost five pounds and cut his body fat by 33 percent, while also working on his footwork.
Early word from training camp was that Montgomery looked both stronger and faster this year, with multiple beat writers taking notice of the differences they saw this year versus 2019.
According to sports medical analyst Dr. David J. Chao, Montgomery’s outlook is a positive one:
“It is not yet a foregone conclusion that Montgomery will miss the Week 1 game at Detroit, which is still two and half weeks away. The worst-case scenario would be a trip to IR where he would come back after missing eight games. The reality is likely somewhere in the middle. My best guess is that I hope he returns sometime in the month of September. Always judge injuries by what happens and not the reaction to it,” Chao said, noting Montgomery’s season definitely wasn’t over.
Bears Depth at RB is Thin…
While Montgomery (hopefully) won’t miss a significant amount of time, the Bears depth chart at running back is as follows: the 5’6″ Tarik Cohen, who has primarily served as a pass-catcher, new experimental running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who has served as a wide receiver and kick returner his entire career, Ryan Nall, who has just a handful of carries and Artavis Pierce, an undrafted rookie, are there too.
Perhaps Pierce will be a complete surprise, or Patterson develops faster than expected, but don’t be shocked if Nagy and company go after some veteran running back depth even though Montgomery’s injury doesn’t appear to be a serious one. Groin injuries can linger — they don’t always, but they can — and Chicago can’t afford to play it fast and loose at the running back position. Veterans like Devonta Freeman, Marshawn Lynch and C.J. Prosise, who worked out with the Bears last week, are all still available. Still, this is good news for the Bears and their fans.
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