The Detroit Lions have the best running back duo in the NFL. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, or, as they like to be called, Sonic and Knuckles, are the perfect tandem with complementary skill sets.
Unfortunately, Montgomery is dealing with a shoulder injury. Will Gibbs have to go it alone on Thanksgiving against the Chicago Bears?
What Is David Montgomery’s Injury?
In Sonic lore, Knuckles is known for his power. He hits hard…as does Montgomery.
Last week, Montgomery did that thing he does where he doesn’t let defenders tackle him. He barreled into one with his shoulder and immediately felt something. Montgomery checked himself out of the game and quickly went to the locker room.
The good news is Montgomery was able to return to the sideline in full uniform. He never returned to the game but reportedly could have if needed. The bad news is this is Thanksgiving week and the Lions always play on Turkey Day, affording Montgomery three fewer days to recover.
Will David Montgomery Play in Week 13?
Montgomery did not participate in the Lions’ walkthrough on Monday. He was upgraded to limited on Tuesday and then listed as a full participant in Wednesday’s final walkthrough.
Teams rarely practice much for Thursday games. There simply isn’t enough time for players’ bodies to recover. Their practice sessions are usually very light or limited to walkthroughs. That makes it a bit hard to gauge how involved an injured player actually was.
With that said, Montgomery was already talking about facing his former team after the game last week. He sounds like a man preparing to play football.
Head coach Dan Campbell also provided a mostly optimistic outlook on Montgomery’s status. At this point, I’d be pretty shocked if he missed an opportunity to stick it to the Bears on a national stage.
Fantasy Implications of Montgomery’s Week 13 Status
If Montgomery ever were to miss a game, this wouldn’t be a situation where Craig Reynolds would step into his role. Gibbs would go from the 1A in this timeshare to just the 1.
We’ve seen what this would look like. Last season, Montgomery missed the Lions’ Week 8 game against the Raiders. Gibbs carried the ball 26 times for 152 yards and a touchdown, adding five receptions for 37 yards through the air.
Without Montgomery, Gibbs is among the best players in all of fantasy. Although it’s unlikely he will have to do it all by himself today, Montgomery is definitely not 100%. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Campbell reduced his workload just a little bit, opting to lean more on Gibbs, who is clearly the healthier of the two.
At the same time, this is a revenge game for Montgomery. The Lions have the best offense in football. They will be near the goal line — likely multiple times — and Montgomery is almost certainly going to get the first crack at a short touchdown.
Campbell is the type of coach who will do that for his players. If you have Montgomery in fantasy, you’re not shying away from him this week.