Wednesday afternoon reports broke of David Montgomery going down in practice and rumors immediately started swirling on just how bad it was.
It looked like we could be getting some really bad news as video of Montgomery slipping and going down surfaced by ABC’s Dionne Miller:
https://twitter.com/dmillerabc7/status/1298673555333427207?s=21
Now we have some more clarification.
NFL.com reporter Ian Rapoport is reporting that Montgomery is set to be sidelined 2-4 weeks with a groin injury. The good news is, it’s a groin injury and not something like a torn ACL. Bad news is, this is already a tumultuous off-season as the Bears try and navigate COVID-19 and little to no off-season prior to training camp. The 2nd year back needs all the reps he can get.
Since the season starts in just two weeks, there’s a very good chance Montgomery misses the beginning of the season. If he is to miss the season, it’s a good thing that Cordarrelle Patterson has been taking reps at RB. Of course, there’s always Tarik Cohen, but what are the Bears’ other options at RB? There are currently two other options on the roster:
Ryan Nall
Nall was with the Bears last season but only saw the field in one game to the tune of 2 carries for 8 yards. Nottttt a huge sample size here. Given the lack of touches, it remains to be seen if the Bears have a whole lot of faith in him. He was an undrafted free-agent signing by the Bears out of Oregon State that could end up seeing a lot more time than originally planned this season with Montgomery going down.
Artavis Pierce
Coincidentally another Oregon State guy… He’s an undrafted rookie this year that is coming off a senior year in which he had 146 carries for 873 yards and 6 TDs on the ground, with another 169 yards and a TD through the air. Depending on how these guys do in training camp, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Pierce jump Nall in terms of playing time. It’s not like Nall has any sort of stranglehold on the depth chart, but they are two different types of backs. It’ll depend on the play calling.
It’s probably unlikely that the Bears go outside of the organization for RB help unless Montgomery’s groin issue nags (which it most certainly can), but in the event they do here are some options (excluding anyone that may get released as training camp progresses) that stick out on the free agent list:
- Davonta Freeman
- Bilal Powell
- CJ Prosise
- Javorius Allen
- Marshawn Lynch (how fun would that be?)
- Isaiah Crowell
- Robert Turbin
- Spencer Ware
Like I said, really doubt the Bears look outside the organization at least until a few more weeks pass. Groin injuries can be nagging, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses and what his status is come Week 1. I’d say get ready to see a heavy dose of Patterson and Cohen week 1. Well… “heavy dose” may be the wrong term to use when it comes to the running game in Nagy’s offense. Just temper expectations with Montgomery suiting up for Week 1…
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