The hits keep coming for the Detroit Lions.
Running back David Montgomery will undergo season-ending knee surgery, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Monday. According to multiple reports, Montgomery has been diagnosed with a torn MCL.
Montgomery was evaluated by coaches during the second quarter of Sunday’s 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills. After testing his knee on the sideline, Montgomery decided to return to the game. He finished the game with five carries for four yards.
“David is so tough, man. He kept playing and got it checked out today,” Campbell told reporters Monday. “He’s just the ultimate teammate, the ultimate competitor. We’ll miss him.”
Montgomery also suffered a knee injury earlier this season in the first quarter of the Lions’ Week 6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Although initially considered questionable after being helped off the field, Montgomery returned to the game in the second quarter. It is unclear whether the injury is to the same knee, or whether the injuries are related.
It’s been a bloodbath this year for the 12-2 Lions, who are playing exceptionally well but have been plagued by injuries.
Most of Detroit’s losses have been on the defensive side, including the leg injury Aidan Hutchinson suffered during the season. In Sunday’s loss, the Lions lost two cornerbacks in one half, with Carlton Davis III suffering a season-ending jaw injury and Khalil Dorsey being carted off the field with a brutal-looking ankle injury. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill also suffered a season-ending ACL tear on Sunday.
Now the team will also have to play without Montgomery, who has been a big part of the offensive production this season. The running back has started all 14 games and has compiled 775 yards and 12 touchdowns in 185 carries.
