Montgomery (right leg) was carted to the locker room during Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Montgomery got his right leg twisted up by a Seattle defender at the end of a seven-yard catch late in the third quarter. The nature of the injury isn't known, but he had 16 carries for 67 yards and one touchdown and the aforementioned reception at the time of his departure. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs will take over the Lions backfield for the time being.

Montgomery rushed 21 times for 74 yards with one touchdown but was not targeted in the passing game during Thursday's 21-20 victory over the Chiefs.

EDGE Analysis

Even though Montgomery's efficiency does not jump off the page, his usage does. In fact, offseason expectations for Montgomery to step into the role Jamaal Williams thrived within last year do not seem misplaced, and Montgomery could be in store for a big season in standard fantasy formats thanks to a prominent role near the goal line. However, it should be noted that first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs only saw nine touches after Lions coaches openly admitted that Gibbs wouldn't see a full workload out of the gates, and Montgomery probably won't see many passes come his way as long as his counterpart is in commission. Next up for the Lions' ground game is a Week 2 matchup against a Seahawks defense that looks more susceptible on the ground than through the air.

Montgomery is expected to take over as the Lions' goal-line running back in 2023 in addition to sharing work with Jahmyr Gibbs on early downs, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Detroit opted to overhaul its running-back room this offseason, bringing in Montgomery on a three-year, $18 million deal in free agency and selecting Gibbs in the first round of the draft while bidding adieu to Jamaal Williams in free agency and trading D'Andre Swift to Philadelphia. Montgomery will essentially be serving as the Williams replacement, a role that could be fruitful after Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022. While he shouldn't be expected to see nearly as many goal-line carries as Williams did a season ago nor cash in on those opportunities as frequently, Montgomery would be a worthy investment for fantasy managers if he can reach half of Williams' touchdown total from a year ago. And while the Lions envision the talented Gibbs holding a key role on offense right out of the gate, the coaching staff may take advantage of the rookie's pass-catching skills by deploying him in the slot as well as out of the backfield. As such, there may be scenarios where both Montgomery and Gibbs share the field, and the former should be much more involved in the passing game than Williams was in his lone season in Detroit. Montgomery averaged three catches and 6.6 yards per target over his final three years in Chicago, while Williams recorded just 12 catches and 4.6 yards per target while playing the full 17-game slate in 2022.

Montgomery (undisclosed) is participating in training camp, Mike O'Hara of detroitlions.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

His undisclosed injury from spring practices apparently hasn't lingered into summer. Montgomery thus figures to get plenty of first-team reps throughout training camp, with the question being to what extent he shares that work with first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs. It's a safe bet both enter Week 1 in significant roles, likely with Montgomery doing more of the rushing and Gibbs doing more of the receiving, though both are capable of beating a defense on the ground or through the air.

Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Montgomery (undisclosed) won't practice but isn't dealing with anything serious, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Montgomery departed from OTAs last week due to an undisclosed injury, and while a timetable for his return remains uncertain it doesn't look like the Lions are overly concerned. Heading into his age-26 season, Montgomery looks poised to handle a key role as a rusher for Detroit, though rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs should also see a fair share of carries while potentially commanding most of the backfield receiving work.

Montgomery left Thursday's practice early due to injury, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Montgomery walked off the field and back to the locker room during Detroit's first open practice of the spring. There's no contact work at this point, so it's likely a muscular injury for Montgomery, who played 60 of a possible 66 games in four seasons with the Bears while topping 200 carries each year. He could see similar rushing workloads in Detroit, but it'll be tougher to get involved as a pass catcher after the Lions used the 12th overall pick on Jahmyr Gibbs, a 199-pound RB with 4.36 speed coming off three straight seasons at Alabama with at least 303 receiving yards and multiple scores. Behind the obvious top two, Detroit's backfield holds Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson, 2022 UDFA Greg Bell and 2023 UDFA Mohamed Ibrahim.

Montgomery has new competition in the backfield after Detroit drafted RB Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall Thursday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Birkett, along with many others, expects D'Andre Swift to be the odd man out in the Detroit backfield, given that Swift has one year remaining on his contract and has struggled to stay healthy throughout his pro career. Montgomery joined the Lions in March on a three-year, $18 million contract with $8.75 million guaranteed at signing, including his $1.25 base salary for 2023 and $3 million of his $5.25 million salary for 2024. He thus figures to be under contract for at least two years, and while Detroit's backfield looks crowded at the moment, Montgomery could end up with a workload split around 50/50 as the thunder to Gibbs' lightning if/when the Lions move on from Swift. To that end, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Friday morning that the Lions are already receiving trade calls for Swift.

Montgomery has agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract with the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Montgomery is set to stay in the NFC North and join the Lions' backfield. His signing indicates Detroit is likely out on the Jamaal Williams' sweepstakes. Thus, the 25-year-old is presumably in line to split carries with D'Andre Swift. He saw the lightest workload of his four-year tenure in Chicago this past season, but still accumulated 801 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 201 carries to go along with 316 receiving yards and one touchdown on 34 receptions in 16 games.

Montgomery rushed seven times for 21 yards in the Bears' 29-13 loss to the Vikings in Week 18, and he ended the season with 201 carries for 801 yards and two touchdowns along with 34 receptions, 316 yards and another score over 16 games played.

EDGE Analysis

In each of his four seasons, Montgomery has produced at least 1,074 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns. Over his career, he's rushed for less than four yards per carry, but he's handled at least 200 carries each season while missing just five games. He's also been solid as a receiver, having posted at least 301 yards in three straight seasons. Although he maintained his hold on the lead role in the backfield, Khalil Herbert cut into his workload and often appeared to be the more explosive runner. It's possible that Chicago lets Herbert take on the lead role in 2023 with Montgomery now an unrestricted free agent.

Montgomery rushed five times for 24 yards and caught two passes for 12 yards in the Bears' 41-10 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Other than Justin Fields' rushing success, the Lions completely stymied the Bears offense, which included Montgomery. With Chicago struggling to convert many first downs once the first quarter was over, there was little opportunity for him to accumulate volume. Montgomery will try to end the year on a high note at home against the Vikings in Week 18.