NEWSLETTER
The timing of David Montgomery’s groin injury was less than ideal. But optimism arose after reports surfaced that Montgomery could be available for Week 1.
Because if Montgomery’s recovery window turns out to be 2-4 weeks, a return for the season-opener against the Lions would be in play.
Unfortunately, one league insider doesn’t sound like he is convinced that window is as open as we might like to think:
NFL Insider @CaplanNFL tells us what his sources have said about #Bears RB David Montgomery and his groin injury #FantasyFootball @Fantasy_Guru #GuruInTheMorning pic.twitter.com/qnFgkO0cN3
— Fantasy Sports Radio (@SiriusXMFantasy) August 28, 2020
In an interview on Sirius XM, Adam Caplan adds to the initial reports surrounding Montgomery’s injury. And while Caplan’s report in this interview comes with a fantasy football slant, there is meaningful about the Bears’ real season.
Caplan said he’s heard Montgomery’s injury is a “moderate groin strain” and the Bears’ hope is that he will be back on the practice field in three weeks. Given that timetable, a projected return to the practice field would come September 16. Or in other words, three days after the season-opener in Detroit. From there, a more likely scenario would have Montgomery back in the lineup for Chicago’s Week 2 game against the New York Giants.
As for Week 1, Caplan said he would put Montgomery in the “doubtful” column on the injury report. In essence, that would make it highly unlikely that Montgomery suits up for Week 1. And if that’s the case, that would be a bit of a bummer. Then again, it wouldn’t be a worst-case scenario. After all, a Week 2 return still puts Montgomery in line to get a lion’s share of the backfield work-load this season. That would be welcome news after fearing the worst when the injury first popped on our radar.
Even still … the Bears should probably browse the free agent market to see who is available. They might need a back such as Devonta Freeman, who could carry a larger load if necessary. Instead, the Bears could target someone with a history with Nagy like Spencer Ware. Or the team could opt to bring in a back who was in for tryouts such as C.J. Prosise or Napoleon Maxwell. In any case, Chicago would be wise to add some depth just in case best-case scenarios don’t play out.
