DETROIT – The Detroit Lions lost starting running back David Montgomery during their win in Tampa Bay, and we’ve gotten updates on his status each of the past two days.
What happened
The Lions struggled to run the ball on their first four drives, and Montgomery had just 14 yards on six carries. They started the fifth drive with a screen pass that Montgomery took 19 yards to the 44.
But Montgomery appeared to land hard on top of the ball, and he stayed down on the field after the play. He walked gingerly to the sideline and eventually was escorted to the locker room before halftime.
The Lions originally said Montgomery was questionable to return with a rib injury, but he was ruled out shortly afterward.
What Campbell said after game
After the game, head coach Dan Campbell said x-rays came back negative.
“That test was negative,” Campbell said. “We’re running another test right now just to make sure. We don’t entirely know. It’s another one -- I won’t know until tomorrow. I wish I could tell you one way or another. I’d like to say I don’t think it’ll be some long-term issue, but I won’t know until tomorrow for sure.”
What Campbell said Monday
When he returned to the podium Monday, the first question Campbell received was about Montgomery. This update didn’t sound nearly as promising.
“He’s got a little something in there, the cartilage, and so he’s probably going to be down for a little bit here,” Campbell said. “I don’t know how long. That’ll just be really how long it takes for this to -- at his position, that’s not an easy thing to deal with. We’ll just take it as it comes, but I think there’s a chance we won’t have him for a little bit.”
He was asked whether it’s possible Montgomery will be placed on injured reserve.
“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” Campbell said. “I have no idea. I really don’t at this point. We’ll see what he feels like tomorrow, see what he feels like Wednesday, Thursday, Friday -- then we’ll kind of see where we’re at.”
Running back injuries
Montgomery has been one of the most important players on the roster through six weeks, and the Lions are already dealing with a slew of other injuries in the running back room.
Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs has missed each of the past two weeks with a hamstring injury, and backup Zonovan Knight missed Sunday’s game with a shoulder issue.
Craig Reynolds came in against the Buccaneers and made a couple of nice plays -- namely a block on the Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown and a 28-yard gain on a screen pass. But the Lions will certainly see a drop-off in production without Montgomery.
