3 Players the Bears Should Consider After David Montgomery Injury

The Chicago Bears offense took a significant hit when David Montgomery was injured in the 24-14 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. 

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, the 24-year-old suffered a knee sprain that is expected to keep him out of the lineup for 4-5 weeks, meaning the third-year player is likely headed to the injured reserve and could be out of the lineup until Week 11. 

The Bears have made some moves to help cope with the injury. They have traded for Jakeem Grant, which should allow rookie Khalil Herbert to focus on running back while he takes over return duties. They have also signed Artavis Pierce, who was with the team last season, to the practice squad.

Damien Williams is set to take the lion's share of the carries, but he also suffered a quad injury in the game and will be questionable for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

If the Bears don't like any of their options this time next week, it might be time to start looking outside of the organization for more help.

These three options are worth taking a look at.

Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts

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The first option is one that is just too convenient to ignore. Marlon Mack is currently on the Indianapolis Colts' roster, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported just over a week ago that he and the franchise have mutually agreed to seek a trade. 

The 25-year-old was a major player in the Colts offense in 2019. He ran for over 1,000 yards with eight touchdowns as the team's primary back, but the team used a second-round pick on Jonathan Taylor in 2020 and Mack tore his Achilles tendon just one game into the season. 

This year, with Taylor continuing to take a workhorse role in the offense, Mack has barely seen the field. 

However, the South Florida product is still young and averaged 4.7 and 4.4 yards per carry in the two seasons when he was a lead back. 

Mack is the kind of player who could not only take some pressure off Williams over the next few weeks but also share carries with Montgomery as he works his way back to full fitness. 

Duke Johnson, Free Agent

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Marlon Mack would be a great acquisition if the Bears are looking to find a back who can take some of the wear and tear of the inside run game. Signing Duke Johnson would put them in a position to bring back a Tarik Cohen-type role in the offense. 

The 28-year-old is still on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from ACL surgery on his right knee, which puts him out until at least Week 7. 

When healthy, Cohen gave the Bears a reliable receiving option out of the backfield with blazing speed. Johnson might not have the same game-changing pace, but he does have reliable hands and has proved to be a productive receiver. 

The last time we saw the 28-year-old was as part of the Houston Texans backfield where he reeled in 28 passes across 11 games. In the six previous seasons, though, he played in all 16 games and had at least 400 yards receiving every year. 

Johnson remains unsigned but there hasn't been a lack of interest. He worked out with the Carolina Panthers last week and met with the San Francisco 49ers the week before. 

The Bears might want to become the latest team to get in touch with him. 

DeeJay Dallas, Seattle Seahawks

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Running back is a young man's game. So, it might make sense if the Bears choose to scan the league for young backs who aren't really getting an opportunity with their current team and see if they can give them a chance to audition for a future role. 

Few fit that profile as well as DeeJay Dallas, considering his situation in Seattle. 

The Seahawks love drafting running backs, yet they've still gone with Chris Carson as the workhorse back. Through four games this season he has 54 carries, while Alex Collins is the next back with 13. 

That means Dallas has become an afterthought. He is a consistent contributor on special teams but has only seen four snaps on offense this season. 

The 23-year-old flashed some potential last season. He only averaged 3.2 yards per carry, but the Seahawks' offensive line was dreadful. As a receiver, he brought in 17 of his 20 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown. 

Between Collins, Dallas and Rashaad Penny, the Seahawks have a surplus of backs behind Carson. Giving them a call about one who could end up being a breakout candidate would be a shrewd move. 

All advanced statistics and snap counts via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.