The Chicago Bears’ most notable free agent set to hit the open market is running back David Montgomery, who’s been a key contributor on offense since he was drafted in 2019.
But Montgomery’s future in Chicago is uncertain ahead of free agency, where he’ll be a top option now that Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley are off the market.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears are interested in re-signing Montgomery, although it appears that he’ll test free agency.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles made it clear that he’d like to have Montgomery back in 2023, and Montgomery feels the same.
“I’ve always wanted to keep David,” Poles said back in January. “I love his mentality, how he plays the game. I told him that to his face,” Poles said. “He’s part of the identity that we had this year that kept us competitive.”
But while there’s mutual interest from both sides, that doesn’t necessarily mean a deal will get done. We saw how things played out with Chicago and linebacker Roquan Smith. Still, Poles hopes they’ll be able to find common ground and bring Montgomery back to the fold.
But it’s not just a matter of wanting to bring back Montgomery. There’s a business side to it, as well. Poles wanted to re-sign linebacker Roquan Smith, but the two sides were never able to come to terms. Still, Poles is hopeful Montgomery will be back with Chicago in 2023.
“Obviously, I’ve learned that you can want a player and the value’s got to come together for it to happen,” Poles said. “I love the way he attacked this season. That’s a guy that does everything right. You all watched his tenacity, his fight. I’m a big David Montgomery fan.”
With the legal tampering period set to begin Monday at 11 a.m. CT, we’ll see whether Montgomery factors into the Bears’ plans moving forward — or if we’ll see a nice face in the backfield alongside Khalil Herbert.
