Running back David Montgomery has been one of the key additions for the Lions and their 7-2 start to the season. He’s scored 7 touchdowns in six games this season, which is huge. But he’s also been a mentor for rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Montgomery showed on Sunday that he’s the kind of teammate every player would want to have.
In the first quarter of the Lions’ 41-38 win against the Chargers, Gibbs brought the Lions close to the goal line on a 35-yard run. Given that Gibbs just had three straight touches, the Lions were going to insert Montgomery for the first-and-goal play. That was until Montgomery offered to take himself out of the game and give Gibbs the touchdown opportunity.
Awesome: #Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs said that RB David Montgomery let him have the touchdown near the endzone vs the #Chargers.
“I was supposed to come out, then David came out, got me, and was like ‘Jah, do you want [the touchdown]?’”
Gibbs said yes and Monty ran off the field so… pic.twitter.com/z3XxPxQs2s
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 16, 2023
Needless to say, Gibbs accepted the offer and punched it in for a touchdown on the next play.
Jahmyr Gibbs takes it nearly all the way for the score!
The next play he put it in!pic.twitter.com/G0PJluL1IWpic.twitter.com/oedMd0yJZghttps://t.co/6eMTI9oqmT
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 12, 2023
Mic’d-up footage even had the two players joking about the offer when Montgomery scored his own touchdown on a 75-yard run in the second quarter.
.@MontgomerDavid wasn't about to let @Jahmyr_Gibbs1 have all the fun 😏 @Lions pic.twitter.com/P0EsoUeNo9
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) November 13, 2023
“I can’t let you have it all,” he said to Gibbs.
Fans also loved that story from Gibbs (well, besides Montgomery fantasy owners). That’s what leadership is all about right there.