The Detroit Lions have gotten hit hard by the injury bug in recent weeks, with one guy who seemed set to miss the rest of the season being star running back David Montgomery. However, it turns out Montgomery could actually return this season, which drew an interesting reaction from head coach Dan Campbell.

Montgomery opted to get a third opinion on the MCL injury he picked up in Week 16, and the determination was that it was not as serious as initially feared, which could lead to him returning this year. With the 2024 campaign being Super Bowl or bust for Detroit at this point, Campbell indicated that the team was going to do what they could to get Montgomery back on the field this season.

“Optimistic with a couple of doctors that he saw, the last two. I think we may see where this thing goes. It certainly sounds more optimistic,” Campbell said, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Dan Campbell, Lions could get huge boost with David Montgomery return

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While the Lions have another star running back in Jahmyr Gibbs who can pick up the slack in Montgomery's absence, having two different players who can impact the game in their own unique way out of the backfield is part of what makes Detroit's offense so good. If Montgomery could return this season, that would be a huge win for the Lions.

Campbell obviously isn't guaranteeing anything, but the tone surrounding Montgomery is much more optimistic than it was just a couple days ago when it seemed like his season was over. It will likely be a couple of weeks before Montgomery could potentially return, so for now, the Lions are going to set their sights on beating the Chicago Bears in Week 16 before worrying about what their star running back's status is.