David Montgomery had one mission above all others when he arrived in the NFL. Make everybody who doubted him eat their words. Don’t be fooled. He was not happy when he went in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft. Sure he was happy the Chicago Bears picked him, but he felt he should’ve gone earlier. Montgomery felt he was the best back in that draft. Honestly? He is getting closer and closer to proving it.
Last season was a perfect example. Despite quarterback problems and an injury-riddled offensive line, the second-year running back cracked 1,000 yards rushing for the year. He had over 1500 yards from scrimmage total and scored nine touchdowns. Seven of them in the final six games. This was the first true confirmation that the Bears might have somebody special in their backfield.
So much in fact that even the national media are taking notice.
Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire ranked Montgomery the seventh-best running back in the NFL going into the 2021 season. Ahead of Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey. Now another has joined in on the high praise. Marc Sessler of NFL.com has admitted to never being the biggest fan of the Bears backfield anchor in the past. However, his finish to last season was enough to sway his opinion. So much that Sessler believes Montgomery will reach his first Pro Bowl this year.
“I never bought a ticket for the Montgomery Hype Train. It felt like a rough ride inside a dull Chicago offense in search of itself. From Week 12 on, though, the young runner morphed into something special, averaging 99.7 ground yards per tilt. He’s a help through the air, too, hauling in 24 catches over that stretch and 54 grabs on the year. It’s no small chore making the Pro Bowl as a back, but if Justin Fields can flip the switch under center (after we collectively tolerate Andy Dalton for a week or two), this offense has a shot to be fiery.”
This is another strong sign that the 24-year old is making believers out of more and more people. If Sessler’s prediction comes true, Montgomery would be the sixth running back since 1965 to make the Pro Bowler. A list that includes Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Neal Anderson, Matt Forte, and Jordan Howard. Pretty good company.
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David Montgomery has way higher aspirations now
His first goal has been achieved. He showed everybody he is good enough to be in the NFL. Now? The next milestone is becoming one of the best in the entire league. That means going after a rushing title. An honor that hasn’t been held by a Bears player since Payton way back in 1977. That would certainly turn a lot of heads. Whether he’ll be able to get that opportunity is the bigger question.
Everything hinges on three key factors. Health is the most obvious. David Montgomery has to stay on the field in order to produce. Then comes the blocking. Is the offensive line up to the task of giving him a steady number of open lanes to run through? Last but not least is the man calling the shots. Head coach Matt Nagy. He decides not only when to run the ball in this offense, but also who is going to run it.
This could be a problem.
Why? The Bears added both Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert to the roster this offseason. Tarik Cohen is also coming back. Nagy has a reputation for going deep into the depth chart on offense. With this new backfield, it isn’t a stretch to think he’d look to get those other three consistently involved. Montgomery wouldn’t like that. Not if he wants to fulfill the expectations of people like Sessler.