Lions snag former NFC North rival David Montgomery in free agency: report

The Detroit Lions have seen a bunch of David Montgomery, who has spent his first four seasons in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears.

Needing a running back for next season, they are expected to have him sign a three-year deal once the new league year opens at 4 p.m. on March 15. 

The deal is expected to be worth $18 million, according to ESPN. 

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David Montgomery #32 of the Chicago Bears runs with the ball during the second half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on January 08, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

While the Lions still have D’Andre Swift on the depth chart, the NFL’s leading touchdown scorer last season, Jamaal Williams, is a free agent, which means a couple spots were open in Detroit. 

Montgomery has been the Bears’ workhorse in the backfield since he was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. 

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Last season, he totaled 801 yards on 201 carries with five rushing touchdowns in 16 games for Chicago. He’s also been a 1,000-yard rusher after tallying 1,070 yards in 2020. 

Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery heads to the end zone for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Montgomery has also shown his ability to catch the ball when thrown to, accumulating 1,240 receiving yards with four touchdowns on 155 receptions. 

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On the Lions, Montgomery could very well make himself out to be the team’s workhorse like Williams was. Swift could swap in and out with him, especially in those passing situations. 

However, the Lions see a lot in Swift, despite having him take a backseat to Williams in his third season. 

Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery (32) is seen during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Sunday, January 1, 2023  (Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Either way, the Lions get a familiar player that has been hard for their defense to stop. Montgomery has averaged 4.1 yards per carry against Detroit in eight career meetings.