In a season that was filled with disappointment, Bears rookie running back David Montgomery found a way to have quite the rookie season despite all the offensive woes that surrounded him.
In a year that featured the Bears offense continuously ignoring the run game, Montgomery had to make every touch he received count and that is exactly what he did.
The numbers are promising
In 2019 David Montgomery had a very under the radar type season. One of the main reasons the 22 year-old’s success was overshadowed was due to the high expectations the Bears had to start the season. Since we have officially begun the off-season, I thought it was a great time to sit back and dissect the 2019 season in greater detail and who better to start with then the leagues 14th best ranked running back in David Montgomery according to Pro Football Reference.
Yes, you read that sentence correctly. Despite Matt Nagy’s tendency to abandoned the run game, the rookie running back still found away to almost crack the top 10 in rushing. Let’s take a look at some of his stats in 2019:
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When you look back on the 2019 season, you will undoubtedly notice the lack of consistency in the Bears running game. Most of the struggles (if not all) should be placed both on the offensive line/play calling. Again, not a lot of the blame should be placed on Montgomery. When he was given the opportunity partnered with decent blocking, he always made the most of it. That is not only a testament to the caliber of player he is but also yet another gem found by the Bears GM Ryan Pace. I mean sure he has whiffed on some notable picks in his tenure but Pace has also proven to have the ability to find key/productive players in the later rounds of the draft.
What’s next?
There are a lot of questions that will need to be answered for the Bears this off-season.
Thankfully the running back position is not one of them.
David Montgomery has been a rare bright spot for the Bears this year and will be a key building block for the team moving forward.
It’s safe to say that the 22 year-old is just scratching the surface when it comes to his potential. It will be up to Matt Nagy and company to do their best in seeing that it is eventually unlocked.
