Is David Montgomery playing today against the Minnesota Vikings?
The Detroit Lions running back injured the MCL in his left knee in the Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The initial prognosis looked grim, but he has not been placed on injured reserve and has hopes of a return at some point in the playoffs.
Montgomery opted to not have surgery on his injured MCL and instead rehab the injury and let it naturally scar over. On Friday, running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said the veteran running back was attacking his rehab with the same vigor he bowls over defenders.
“We’re just really, really excited for him,” Scottie Montgomery said two days before facing the Vikings. “If we get him back, we want to try to make sure we utilize him as much as we can. Just looking forward to that time when it comes, if it comes. And hopefully it’ll come and he’ll be ready to go.”
The Lions (14-2) host the Vikings (14-2) on Sunday Night Football to determine the NFC No. 1 seed and North division winner and will miss Montgomery’s physical running.
TRENDING:Vikings infiltrate Ford Field with sneaky scheme to buy Lions tickets
Here’s what to know about Montgomery’s injury status and the Lions’ running back situation:
Who replaces David Montgomery at Lions RB?
Montgomery remains out with an MCL injury to his knee.
In the two games without Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs has taken on the role as the workhorse back with 27 touches (23 carries, four catches) against the Chicago Bears for 154 yards and a touchdown and 22 touches (18 carries, four catches) against the San Francisco 49ers for a combined 163 yards and a late rushing touchdown.
Behind Gibbs, veteran Craig Reynolds has been the primary backup, but he was placed on the injury report Friday with a back injury and is now questionable. The Lions have also employed former seventh-round draft pick Jermar Jefferson, who was elevated from the practice squad after Montgomery’s injury, and fourth-round rookie Sione Vaki. Jefferson handled a few goal-line snaps last week vs. the 49ers while Vaki got on the field for a few snaps in the two-minute offense against Chicago.
Expect Gibbs, 22, to again handle nearly all touches out of the backfield against Minnesota in the winner-take-all matchup. In the first meeting in Week 7, he had 15 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns plus four catches for 44 yards while playing 58% of the offensive snaps (33).
Gibbs, the No. 12 overall pick in 2023 by the Lions out of Alabama, has 227 carries for 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with 47 catches for 486 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver. The second-year running back was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team Thursday and is in the conversation as one of the top backs in the league.
BEER ME:Lions stellar season forcing change at beer league hockey games
David Montgomery stats
Montgomery, 27, signed with the Lions as a free agent in 2023 from Chicago and became a tone-setter thanks to his physical running style and ability to consistently churn out extra yards. Alongside Gibbs and a stout offensive line, Detroit has formed the league’s sixth-ranked rushing attack with 2,310 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Montgomery, who signed a two-year contract extension in October, split backfield work with Gibbs to form the most dangerous 1-2 running back punch in the NFL. Through 14 games, Montgomery had 775 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries. He had 13 touchdowns in the regular season in 2023.
