Will David Montgomery Play In The Postseason? Injury Update For Lions RB

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (knee) suffered an MCL injury in Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills. While it was initially reported that he would be placed on injured reserve and his season would be over, we haven't seen that yet.

"Monty" has now played in 14 games this season, rushing 185 times for 775 yards (clocking in at just under 4.2 yards per carry), and scored 12 rushing touchdowns. He's also caught 36 of his 38 targets for 341 yards and only lost one fumble on the year.

But what's the latest news on his injury? And will he be able to play in the playoffs? Let's look at the latest update on the Lions' RB.

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David Montgomery Injury Update

Initial reporting indicated that the rest of his season was in serious doubt - supposedly, he tore his MCL. But this might not have been entirely true.

Lions RB David Montgomery suffered torn MCL and could be out for the rest of the season. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/B53SzeOTcJ

— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2024

But maybe it wasn't a full tear, or maybe he's just motivated enough to play through the injury after a bit of rehab. It may not be fully recovered (it's unlikely it will be), but he opted to rehab his knee instead of undergoing season-ending surgery.

After #Lions RB David Montgomery spent the last few days consulting with medical experts, sources are now optimistic that the star avoided the season-ending surgery that was initially feared.

Montgomery will rehab with the hope that he can return at some point this postseason. pic.twitter.com/epN40XUoPy

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2024

Will David Montgomery Play In The Postseason?

All signs are pointing to his return at some point. Luckily for the Lions, they beat the Minnesota Vikings handily in Week 18, securing a first-round bye. This will give Montgomery an extra week to heal, and it looks like he should return in the Divisional round.

Lions injury news: Dan Campbell expects them to have RB David Montgomery for the first playoff game.

They have positive updates on CB Terrion Arnold and OG Kevin Zeitler.

He said CB Carlton Davis and LB Derrick Barnes will not be back. pic.twitter.com/TT5WvRd2b8

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) January 7, 2025

Lions head coach Dan Campbell is notoriously... reliable when it comes to player injury news. He is extremely forthcoming and honest, and it's best to trust what he says. In fact, he's one of the most reliable coaches in the NFL when discussing his players' health issues.

#Lions HC Dan Campbell has a 90% reliability rating on injury coachspeak

We expect David Montgomery to return next week https://t.co/asOhK8mQft pic.twitter.com/fnLvdZJF90

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) January 7, 2025

Thus, we strongly believe Monty will return for the Divisional round.

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