The storm of injuries hitting the Lions has spread to the offense.
Running back David Montgomery tore his MCL in the Lions' loss to the Bears and could be out for the season, per Ian Rapoport. Dan Campbell confirmed the outlook Monday afternoon.
"Looks like he's going to require surgery that will put him out for the rest of the year," Campbell said Monday. "He had gotten it at some point yesterday in that game. David's so tough, man, 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, ultimate competitor. We're going to miss him, man. He's another one of these guys that got us to this position, helped get us to where we're at and man, the rest of us owe him to keep going and make sure that wasn't in vain."
It's another brutal blow to the Lions, who also lost star defensive tackle Alim McNeill to a torn ACL and top cornerback Carlton Davis III to a fractured jaw in their 48-42 loss to Buffalo. That's on top of several existing injuries to key players on defense, including star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and starting linebackers Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes.
Montgomery is a key cog in one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL, one half of the Lions' dynamic duo with Jahmyr Gibbs. He managed to finish out Sunday's game despite the injury, but had just four yards on five carries while catching four passes for 31 yards.
Without Montgomery, the Lions will likely lean header on Jahmyr Gibbs, who's third among NFL running backs in yards per carry (5.6), and use backup Craig Reynolds in a supporting role.
One of the most physical runners in the NFL, Montgomery had 775 yards and 12 touchdowns through 14 games. The Lions signed him to a two-year, $18.25 million extension in October that runs through the 2027 season.