Injuries continue to batter the Detroit Lions, and now they've spread to the offense.
Running back David Montgomery suffered a torn MCL during Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell later told reporters that Montgomery will undergo season-ending surgery on his knee.
The running back limped off the field in the second quarter on Sunday but was able to return to the game. His last snap came with 10:34 in the fourth quarter, per Next Gen Stats.
"David's so tough, man," Campbell said on Monday. "He continued to play through and then got it checked out today and realized that's what it was. He's just the ultimate teammate, the ultimate competitor. We're gonna miss him, man. He's another one of these guys that got us to this position, helped get us to where we're at. The rest of us, we owe him to keep going and make sure that wasn't in vain."
The injury saps the Lions of their two-headed monster, Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery, affectionately known as Sonic and Knuckles. While Gibbs played the big-play speedster role, Montgomery was the steady workhorse who kept the Lions in good down and distances, bulldozed through tackles, and converted short-yardage and goal-line situations. His absence takes away a potent weapon out of the backfield.
Sans Montgomery, the Lions will likely saddle Gibbs with a heavier workload. Craig Reynolds could play the short-yardage role, and rookie Sione Vaki could get some reps.
In October, the Lions agreed to a two-year extension with Montgomery, ensuring the pairing with Gibbs would continue. Now, they might not see the field together again until the 2025 season.
It's a brutal injury for a Lions club that has been decimated in recent weeks, mostly on defense. Campbell confirmed on Monday that defensive lineman Alim McNeill suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the loss to the Bills, and cornerback Carlton Davis is out indefinitely with a fractured jaw.
Before Sunday's injuries, the Lions had 18 players on injured reserve, including 13 defenders. Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, John Cominsky and Kalif Raymond dot the list of key Detroit injuries.
"We acknowledge the fact that we've lost players, we've lost really good players, but nobody cares," Campbell said on Monday. "I mean, nobody cares and nobody's gonna give us a pass or give us an asterisk next to your record. So what it means is some guys are gonna have an unbelievable opportunity. Because of what has happened, that means now, man, you're a guy who's on the vet squad or you're a young player or you're somebody who's been dying to get an opportunity, you're about to get it.
"So that's a pretty cool thing, that's a pretty inspiring thing. What are you gonna do with it? And it's up to us to give them a plan to where they can succeed. I've said it before: We play with three units here, and we'll do what we have to do to win a game. And that's all that matters. That's all that matters from here on out is that you just need to have one more point than the opponent. Period."
Detroit sits at 12-2 and has already clinched a spot in the postseason, but the injuries piling up have brought some gloom to a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
