Tailback David Montgomery returned to Chicago Bears practice on Friday. However, the team has him flagged as a game-time decision for Sunday night's tilt with the Los Angeles Rams, as coach Matt Nagy announced, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Montgomery was a limited participant in practice with an ankle injury on Wednesday. He did not participate on Thursday and returned on Friday on a limited basis. According to multiple reports, the rookie running back slightly rolled his ankle in practice. He is officially questionable.
A rookie third-round pick out of Iowa State, Montgomery has tallied six starts for the Bears in 2019 in nine games. On 129 attempts, he has 466 yards and five touchdowns, suitable for 3.6 yards per attempt. He has hauled in 18 receptions for 133 yards.
Montgomery, statistically, has not flourished as a rookie in Chicago. However, most of that blame cannot be placed on him. The Bears' offensive line has struggled to open lanes for him all season long. According to Football Outsiders, their 3.71 adjusted line yards per play is 27th in the NFL; their 0.73 second-level yards are dead-last. All too often, the blocking has been inconsistent between bad and mediocre.
With that said, Montgomery is Chicago's workhorse back. If out, the team will have to give an uptick in snaps to Tarik Cohen, an undersized change of pace back who sees a fair amount of snaps as a slot receiver. Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson could also see snaps as a running back, as Chicago has used him as a power back throughout the season.
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