Lions' David Montgomery Getting 3rd Opinion on Knee Injury, Hasn't Been Put on IR

The Detroit Lions aren't ready to commit to shutting down star running back David Montgomery yet.

The Lions are keeping Montgomery off IR while he seeks a third opinion on his injured knee, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Wednesday.

Campbell previously said on Monday that Montgomery would require season-ending knee surgery after suffering a sprained MCL during the Lions' 48-42 Sunday loss to the Buffalo Bills.

"He's had a couple, and really, just see what this third one says. ... We're in waiting mode here," Campbell said on Wednesday.

Campbell continued: "It is one of these injures that's unique, because you need to know, is it stable? Is it fixed, or will it scar?... It's a combination, certainly, of the doctors, but him as well, where he thinks he can go with it, can he protect himself and play at a high level.

"So we're in a holding pattern, which, as of right now, that's a positive."

Montgomery has split time with Jahmyr Gibbs while helping the Lions deploy one of the strongest rushing duos in the NFL this season. Through 14 games he led the Lions with 12 rushing touchdowns and ranked second to Gibbs with 775 rushing yards.

The running back left the Lions' Week 15 matchup with the Bills in the second quarter and returned briefly in the third before leaving the game entirely.

Montgomery's injury further strained a Lions roster that has lost several key players over the last few weeks, including defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who has been out since suffering a fractured left tibia and fibula in Week 6.

In total the Lions were missing 13 defensive players on IR heading into Sunday's game (h/t ESPN's Eric Woodyard.)

The Lions then lost two more starters on Sunday after defensive tackle Alim McNeill suffered a torn ACL and cornerback Carlton Davis III suffered a fractured jaw, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

McNeill is out for the rest of the season, while Davis will be sidelined for six weeks, per Rapoport. It sounds like the Lions are trying every possible avenue before making a similar conclusion about Montgomery.

If Montgomery is ultimately shut down for the rest of the 2024 campaign, the Lions will likely give a heavier workload to Gibbs as the team looks to lean on offense to cover for their limited defensive depth over the last three weeks of the regular season.