Is David Montgomery poised for a big deal this off-season?
It’s no secret that the Chicago Bears enter the 2022-23 season with a lot of question marks. No one is expecting them to contend for a title, or at the very least make the playoffs, but the foundation needs to be set by rookie head coach Matt Eberflus. The most promising part of this young Bears team could quite possibly be their young running back David Montgomery.
Over the past three years Montgomery has been a very consistent part of the offense, putting up at least 800 yards per season. This all comes without having a decent signal caller in any of those seasons. Obviously this offense still needs lots of work, but Montgomery offers a security blanket for young QB Justin Fields, who struggled mightily in his first season at the helm.
Now the question still remains, will the Bears offer him a large extension at the end of this year? GM Ryan Poles should have plenty of money to work with next year, as they project to be first in cap space entering ’23. However, we’ve seen many teams shy away from giving running backs the money they do or do not deserve, so there is no clear indication on what Chicago will do.
Based on what he has done for Chicago’s rushing attack over the past 3 years, why wouldn’t they extend him? According to StatMuse.com, Montgomery has rushed for 2,808 yards since he entered the league, ranking 8th amongst all other running backs. With a brand new coaching staff, the way Montgomery has been used will likely also change, opening up the door for more opportunity.
While their has been no indication from the Bears about a possible extension, new coach Matt Eberflus has praised the Iowa State product in recent interviews. An uptick in carries and receptions is very possible, as he looks to incorporate him into the offense in different ways. He spoke with Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com about Montgomery’s approach to this season and how excited he is to work with him.
“Talk about motor and mean, yeah, he is that guy,” Eberflus said, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. “Serious, a pro, worker — he’s going to be exciting to work with, and he’s going to fit right in. He’s the kind of guy who just says, ‘Hey, watch me go. I’m not going to say a whole bunch of things, but just watch me do my job.’”
via Yahoo Sports
High words of praise from the new coach, this bodes well for his usage heading forward. The cash amount could depend on how much some others get paid this season, like the Giants Saquon Barkley or Cleveland’s Kareem Hunt, who are also set to hit FA in the summer of 2023. Those deals are likely to set a starting point if David Montgomery isn’t offered anything before then.
David Montgomery (@MontgomerDavid) is being criminally underrated coming into 2022.
The vision and cutback ability he shows on this play is similar to that of Nick Chubb and Johnathan Taylor. pic.twitter.com/d7WHpww1bY
— Josh DeLuca (@JoshDeLuca4) July 12, 2022
It was mentioned in an earlier article this week written by our own Jordan Sigler, ESPN recently released it’s top 10 running backs, and David Montgomery was snubbed from the list. That being said he does need to improve just a tad statistically to possibly crack the Top 10, but some signs show to him possibly having a breakout year. We all know the Bears don’t have a great offensive line, as PFF ranks it close to last for the 2022-23 season. However a new Bears offense led by Luke Gesty could find more ways to open lanes for Montgomery going forward. As seen above, Montgomery can move with the best of the best in this league.
He will surely need help from Sophomore QB Justin Fields to take some pressure off the rushing attack. Hopefully, new addition N’Keal Harry will provide a bit of a spark to an otherwise lackluster offense. He may not have the pure speed of Raheem Mostert, or the pass catching ability of Alvin Kamara, but David Montgomery has all the tools to earn a good payday next summer.
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