The Lions have a big hole in the running backs room after losing David Montgomery for the season. Who will fill the void?
The Detroit Lions injury bug has spread from the defense to the offense. David Montgomery will miss the rest of the 2024 season after suffering an MCL injury during Sunday’s game against the Bills that will necessitate surgery.
We’ve seen Montgomery miss a couple games at a time over the past two seasons, and Jahmyr Gibbs usually steps in as the clear bellcow back in his absence. However, we have yet to see how things will shape up with Montgomery out for a prolonged period of time.
Question of the day: Who will see the biggest increase in carries after David Montgomery’s injury?
My answer: I would expect Sione Vaki to be the biggest beneficiary.
Vaki has just six carries during the regular season, as most of his work has come on special teams. However, he’s a young guy who the Lions clearly drafted because of his upside. He’s still relatively new to being a running back, and now’s the time to take the training wheels off. It may be sooner than anticipated, but if the Lions are going to learn on Vaki in the playoffs, they’ll have to start that process now.
The Lions could also turn to Craig Reynolds, who has played a similar role to Vaki. Reynolds has just 12 carries thus far on the year. However, the Lions have been hesitant to expand Reynolds’ role in the past. When David Montgomery got injured early in 2023, the Lions turned externally and signed Zonovan Knight. They know what they have in Reynolds, and they seem content keeping him limited to that role.
The Lions could also turn elsewhere. Pride of Detroit’s Max Gerber outlined a few options the Lions have via other teams’ practice squads to fill the gap left by Montgomery.
Who do you think the Lions will turn to the most in David Montgomery’s absence? Will ole reliable Craig Reynolds see more action? Will the Lions take the training wheels off of Sione Vaki? Or will they turn to somewhere other than Allen Park for an answer? Vote below and let us know your thoughts.
