Bears running back David Montgomery has been underrated since the moment he was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Even following last year’s performance, where he was one of the league’s best running backs in the final six weeks and finished fifth in the NFL with 1,070 rushing yards, Montgomery continued to be underrated.
So much so that one pre-season running back rankings list had Montgomery ranked as the 25th best running back in the NFL. Montgomery vowed to make his doubters pay, and through the first four games of the 2021 season, he’s held up his end of the bargain.
Before suffering a knee sprain in Week 4 against the Lions, Montgomery had 309 rushing yards, which ranked fifth in the NFL at the time. Still, Montgomery believes he can be even better.
“I think I’ve been okay, but I think I can be better for my team,” he said. “As far as being more attention to the details and paying more attention to that so I can be sharper in my game. And being able to carry that morale for my guys around me to bring them along with me.”
Montgomery, a former third-round pick, has found himself in a veteran role this season. He’s stepped into more of a leadership role this season, where he’s worked on leading by example and also vocally.
“Just being able to be vocal, being more vocal,” Montgomery said. “Allowing my guys to know they can trust me with this and whatever they need from me they got. Doing that has been big as far as me being comfortable in a leader role.”