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David Montgomery 'happy to be back' at Detroit Lions' practice before playoff opener
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- David Montgomery 'happy to be back' at Detroit Lions' practice before playoff opener
As a swarm of media gathered around David Montgomery on Tuesday evening, one reporter in the throng told him, "We missed you."
A smile spread across the Detroit Lions running back's face.
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"Don't make me emotional," he replied teasingly.
Montgomery, one of the main power sources of the team's prolific ground attack, then turned serious.
"It's just refreshing kind of to be back in the position where I can help the team," he said in one breath.
"I'm ready to go," he added in another.
This was all part of his personal plan after he sprained the MCL in his right knee in a Dec. 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. At the time the injury was diagnosed, the widespread assumption was he would have surgery that would end his season.
"That was news to me," Montgomery said.
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) lays on the field after a play against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024.
He had no intention of going under the knife right then and there. Instead, he opted to rehabilitate his ailing joint with the goal of returning for the playoffs. That set the stage for Tuesday, when he returned to practice in advance of the Lions' NFC divisional round clash with the Washington Commanders . On the team's injury report, Montgomery was listed as a full participant .
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To get to this point required a lot of strenuous work, the sixth-year veteran revealed. He spent day after day strengthening a knee that he says "feels better than it did before I got hurt."
"I wouldn't be out there if I wasn't ready," he explained.
Still, it's unclear how much Montgomery will play.
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) is covered by Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney (29) during the Thursday Night Football at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.
When healthy this season, he averaged around 28 snaps per game. As the bruising sidekick to Jahmyr Gibbs in the Lions' "Sonic and Knuckles" backfield, Montgomery gained 775 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in 14 appearances.
Even though he had one less rush attempt than Gibbs during that stretch, Montgomery was still seen as the tone-setter for the offense.
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"He's a huge part of us, and to me he's a bell cow," coach Dan Campbell said. "He's a catalyst."
"The way he runs, you can't really replace it," receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown added.
But the Lions were able to minimize the impact of Montgomery's absence by increasing Gibbs' workload. As the Lions finished the regular season with three straight victories, Gibbs averaged 121.67 yards rushing yards during that span.
His brilliant performance in a 31-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings earlier this month , when he scored four times, helped the Lions claim their second straight NFC North title, the conference's No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Montgomery called Gibbs a "generational talent."
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But Montgomery isn't too shabby, either.
"He's a big, big part of this team," St. Brown said. "We can't wait to have him out there. I'm excited to see him even go and practice again."
It's clear Montgomery is just as thrilled to be back on the field.
"I missed it," he said.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com . Follow him @RainerSabin on X
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions' David Montgomery says he is 'ready to go,' return to practice
