Lions’ David Montgomery Avoids Season-Ending Injury, Could Return In Playoffs

The Lions finally got a piece of positive injury news this week. Despite earlier reports, star running back David Montgomery avoided a season-ending injury and may return in the postseason, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

[RELATED: Lions Not Ruling Out David Montgomery Return]

Montgomery and the Lions had been consulting experts over the past few days regarding his MCL injury, hoping that it was not as severe as initially thought. That was confirmed on Thursday, per Rapoport, giving Montgomery a chance to rehab his knee and rejoin Detroit in the postseason.

The Lions have been besieged with injuries this season, including a particularly brutal stretch over the last month with several defenders landing on injured reserve. Fortunately, the team’s offense has generally stayed intact, and while a Montgomery loss was disappointing, it wasn’t necessarily a season-killer considering the team’s other high-powered offensive weapons.

Montgomery has turned into one of the top scorers in the NFL since joining the Lions. He finished his first season in Detroit with 13 touchdowns (plus another two in the postseason), and he collected another 12 touchdowns in 14 games this season. While the veteran experienced career-low usage as a pass-catcher in 2023, he saw a significant uptick this season, hauling in 36 catches for 341 yards.

As noted, the Lions have more than enough offensive weapons to make up for Montgomery’s absence. Jahmyr Gibbs has followed up his standout rookie campaign with an even better sophomore season, collecting 1,442 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns. The Lions have been careful about managing the RB’s workload in 2024; Gibbs has only topped 20 rushing attempts once this season, and he’s compiled 20 or more touches in only four games.

The Lions may be more willing to make Gibbs a temporary workhorse with the understanding that Montgomery could eventually be back when it matter. Still, there should be an opening for the likes of Craig Reynolds and fourth-round rookie Sione Vaki to earn more reps over the next few weeks.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.