It could be difficult for Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery to repeat his 2023 statistics this season. Not only did he rush for a career-best 4.6 yards per carry and score a career-high 13 touchdowns last season, second-year running back Jahmyr Gibbs could cut into his playing time this fall.
But with workouts like the one Montgomery recently had that appeared on social media to begin the second week of July, it’s difficult to count out the 27-year-old veteran.
On July 9, the official NFL X (formerly Twitter) account posted a video of Montgomery lifting 705 pounds of weights with his legs.
“That’s unreal strength from David Montgomery,” the NFL wrote as a caption.
That’s unreal strength from David Montgomery 😳
(via @MontgomerDavid)
Behind that leg strength, Montgomery rushed for 13 touchdowns in 2023. Nine of those scores came from within the 5-yard line.
Montgomery also showcased explosiveness with a 75-yard touchdown run against the Los Angeles Chargers. He ran for 1,015 yards overall, registering his second career 1,000-yard campaign.
Social Media Reacts to David Montgomery Workout
NFL players can do incredible things in the weight room. But Montgomery’s display of leg strength still left many fans in awe on X.
“Underrated, under appreciated, and overall an unreal talent,” wrote M3M3_TV on X. “Dude kills it!”
Another X user argued there was a method to Montgomery’s workout madness.
“He wants ALL the goal-line carries!” SportsSphere FF wrote.
Montgomery was lifting so much weight that some users were nervous.
“His knees starting to go inward at first scared me but he righted it quick!” Lacy wrote.
Other users had jokes about the amount of weight Montgomery was able to lift with his powerful legs.
“How many kilos is that?” asked Juicy_Story_Apparel.
“I did that in high school …” wrote Dr Reach.
With his power, Montgomery has rushed for at least 800 yards in all five of his NFL seasons. He’s also scored more than 5 touchdowns in each of his campaigns and averaged 4.1 yards per carry.
Last season, 59 of his runs went for first-downs, which tied a career high. Montgomery also posted a 54.8% rushing success rate — the best mark of his career in the category.
Will Montgomery & Jahmyr Gibbs Be the Best RB Duo in the NFL?
While Montgomery set multiple career highs in 2023, Gibbs was impressive during his rookie campaign. Gibbs ran for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry in 2023. He also had 52 receptions on his way to a Pro Bowl nomination, which Montgomery didn’t earn.
Ahead of Week 14, NFL Network’s Maurice Jones-Drew ranked Montgomery and Gibbs the second-best running back duo in the league. But with both returning behind the Lions top offensive line in 2024, it’s hard to envision the Lions tandem not being the top duo in the NFL this fall.
If Gibbs averages more or close to 5 yards per carry again, then he will undoubtably see more carries in 2024. That will likely mean fewer attempts for Montgomery, but if the veteran can remain efficient, then he should be able to record his sixth 800-yard rushing season.
Additionally, with his leg power, Montgomery should continue to see a lot of touches near the goal line. While Gibbs had 10 rushing touchdowns in 2023, only half of them were inside the 5-yard line like a majority of Montgomery’s scores were.
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Lions’ David Montgomery Turns Heads With ‘Unreal’ Workout Video