Bears RB David Montgomery expected to be sidelined at least four weeks with knee sprain

Montgomery, Chicago's starting running back, suffered the injury in Sunday's 24-14 win over the Detroit Lions. The 24-year-old ran off left guard for a five-yard gain in the fourth quarter but stayed on the ground and clutched his left knee in obvious pain after the play ended. He was eventually helped off the field and immediately taken back to the locker room, where the Bears ruled him out for the game. 

Montgomery enjoyed a productive afternoon before exiting, rushing for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He leads the Bears with 309 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

The Iowa St. product is in his third season with the Bears after being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft. His best season came in 2020 when he ran for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 54 passes for 438 yards and two scores. 

With Montgomery sidelined, the Bears will rely on Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert at running back. Williams is second on the team with 73 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown this season. Chicago also has Ryan Nall on its practice squad.

The Bears are second in the NFC North with a 2-2 record. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields has been the team's starter with veteran Andy Dalton recovering from an injury. However, head coach Matt Nagy reiterated after Sunday's win that Dalton will be the starter when healthy.