After getting a third opinion on his injured knee, David Montgomery could be back much sooner than expected.
The outlook is "now optimistic" that Montgomery "avoided the season-ending surgery that was initially feared," per Ian Rapoport.
The Lions running back "will rehab with the hope that he can return at some point this postseason," Rapoport reports.
Montgomery initially looked headed for surgery on a reported torn MCL that he suffered in the Lions' loss to the Bills last week. That was the word from Dan Campbell on Monday.
But Montgomery sought a second and then third opinion, and while it "has taken several days and several experts," per Rapoport, he has found a viable path toward returning in the playoffs.
Campbell said Tuesday that Montgomery's MCL issue "is one of these injuries that’s unique because you need to know, is it stable, is it fixed? Or will it scar and then be stable for now and for later?"
"And then you have to rely on him (to tell you), ‘Hey man, I’m good. I can do this.’ So it’s a combination certainly of the doctors, but him as well, where he thinks he can go with it, can he protect himself and play at a high level?"
The answer, it appears, is trending toward yes.