30 Most Important Bears of 2022: No. 13 David Montgomery

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2022 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. There are a number of players, coaches and front office members that are crucial to the team’s success this season.

Every day from now until the start of training camp, we’re counting down our 30 most important Bears for the 2022 season. We’ll recap their 2021 season, look ahead to 2022 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.

Coming at No. 13 is running back David Montgomery, one of the team leaders who will be counted on to move the ball in a new offensive scheme.

Background

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Position: Running back

Age: 25

Experience: 4th season

2022 cap hit: $3.051 million

2021 recap

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Through four weeks of the 2021 season, Montgomery was statistically one of the best running backs in the league. He tallied two 100-yard rushing games and had 309 total rushing yards, even with the abysmal offensive performance against the Cleveland Browns included. But a knee injury knocked him out for four weeks and Montgomery never got back up to his production from earlier in the year.

Montgomery returned in week nine but his effectiveness had dipped. He didn’t have another 100-yard performance after his injury and finished the season with 849 rushing yards, a career low. He also averaged just 3.77 yards per carry, though he did score seven rushing touchdowns. Much like the Bears offense as a whole, Montgomery’s 2021 season felt incomplete but now he has a chance to prove this last year was a fluke and he can be a top-15 running back in the league.

2022 outlook

AP Photo/David Banks

If anyone has any reason to lick their chops over this new offense, it’s Montgomery. New offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will be establishing an offense that heavily features the running game in an outside zone scheme, which should tailor to Montgomery’s strengths. The bruising back is effective at bouncing off tacklers and earning a few extra yards after contact and it will only help the Bears move the ball down the field.

Montgomery also won’t have to shoulder the load on his own. Second-year back Khalil Herbert should steal a few touches each game, potentially becoming the 1B back to Montgomery’s 1A and splitting carries. Either way, Herbert’s presence should extend Montgomery’s availability in games throughout the entire season and it’s entirely possible he’s the team’s MVP on offense.

Big question: Will this be Montgomery's final season as a Bear?

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The Bears and David Montgomery are on the verge of a crossroads. The veteran running back is entering the final year of his rookie contract and, while he’s been productive after being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, do the Bears really want to commit a significant amount of money to a running back?

Normally, the chances of Montgomery being re-signed would be extremely low. But there are factors to consider that could mean the Bears are interested in locking him into a new deal. For starters, general manager Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus both have sung the back’s praises and have called him a leader in the locker room. While it would be an understandable business decision, it would also be a tough look if they allowed Montgomery to walk next offseason after leaning on him to set the tone. Keep in mind also that the Bears have an exorbitant amount of open cap space next year. Perhaps he can be brought back on a cost-effective deal and remain with the Bears.

Poles also already seemingly has a new suitable RB1 waiting in the wings with Herbert, who still has two years of control on his deal after this season. The Bears could say goodbye and move Herbert into the starting spot after this season, but Montgomery isn’t going to let that happen without a fight.

30 Most Important Bears of 2022

We’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears of 2022. Check back every day leading up to the start of training camp.

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