Bears running back David Montgomery’s groin injury suffered in practice Wednesday is not expected to keep him out long. The team anticipates him missing 2-4 weeks, NFL Network reported, which would give him a chance of being available for the Sept. 13 opener at the Lions.
A four-week recovery would put Montgomery in play for the Week 3 game against the Falcons, missing just two games, so even the projected worst-case scenario wouldn’t completely derail coach Matt Nagy’s plans. That might negate the need to sign a significant free agent to replace Montgomery.
If he misses time in the season, the Bears could use a combination of Tarik Cohen and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Nagy uses Cohen as a runner and receiver, and he has averaged 4.1 yards per carry for his career. Patterson, a former wide receiver who played running back for the Patriots in 2017, holds the modern-era record for players with at least 100 attempts at 7.6 yards per carry.
Montgomery fits the profile of exactly the type of running back the Bears need and showed signs of developing into one of their best offensive players as a rookie last season. Despite all their problems offensively, he ran for 889 yards and six touchdowns while catching 25 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown.
