Yesterday, injured Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson announced his intention to be healed in time for the Super Bowl and take the field if Detroit makes it to the season's final game.
Optimism must be contagious as Detroit running back David Montgomery, who has 185 carries for 775 yards (4.2 YPC) and 12 touchdowns to go with 36 catches for 341 yards on 38 targets in 14 games this season, shared that he is not going to have season-ending surgery to address the MCL sprain in his right knee he suffered on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
It appeared that Montgomery sustained the injury on a three-yard run midway through the second quarter of Sunday's loss, but he did remain active in the game and played limited snaps to finish with a season-low 35 yards on nine touches (five carries, four receptions).
On Monday, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said Montgomery would have season-ending surgery to address the MCL sprain. "He's just the ultimate teammate," Campbell said of Montgomery. "Ultimate competitor. We're going to miss him. He's another one of these guys at his position helped us to get where we're at. The rest of us owe him."
RB David Montgomery is hosting a coat drive here in Detroit just days after Dan Campbell said he'll need surgery and will be done for the season.
Montgomery said he's alive and well when I asked how he's feeling. Told me he wasn't put on IR today because he's working through... pic.twitter.com/HVGjOSaUAF
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While hosting a coat drive in Detroit on Tuesday, the 27-year-old power back, a third-round selection of the Bears in the 2019 NFL Draft, said he is not headed to injured reserve yet and that nothing is official as of now. "We don't know. We're kind of working through the logistics right now. Things may change," Montgomery said.
Asked about playing again this season, Montgomery left the door open and indicated he's going to keep a positive outlook. "I hope so," he said. "I'm good. I'm alive, I'm well, I can breathe, my son's healthy, my family's healthy, I'm good."
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For now, the Lions will turn to Jahmyr Gibbs as their workhorse out of the backfield and look to spell him with a combination of rookie Sione Vaki and speedy special-teamer Craig Reynolds.
"We have a lot of confidence in Gibbs," Campbell said. "He's continued to get better and better as the season has gone. Given the opportunity, he's made a lot of plays. He made some big plays for us (Sunday). He brings an explosive element. He's getting better in the pass game, and you see what he's able to do in the run game. We have a ton of confidence (in him)."
The Lions are 12-2 and sit atop the NFC North. They'll face the Bears, Niners and Vikings to close out their season.
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