5 Chicago Bears players with a lot to prove in 2022

Chicago Bears player no. 2: David Montgomery, Running Back

Ok, so David Montgomery is a fan favorite. Since the Chicago Bears drafted him in the third round of the 2019 draft, he’s done everything they’ve asked of him. He even became a better pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Montgomery was on his way to having perhaps his best season last season when he suffered a knee injury. He missed a month of the season, yet still had 1,150 total yards from scrimmage.

You might think that Montgomery has his place on the roster set. The answer to that is a resounding yes. However, there is the future to think about.

Montgomery is in the final year of his rookie contract. There is a new regime that has no ties to him. They can move on from him and find another running back, given that the position is highly undervalued now.

It would be nice to have consistency, though, and having the same starting running back who played well gives the offense a boost.

The problem comes with how well Montgomery plays. Does he do so well that Poles and the Bears have no choice but to reward him with a nice second contract, or will there still be some questions after the season?

I am pulling for Montgomery. Many people want to give up on running backs so early because they’re a dime a dozen. However, the good teams usually have a good back who has been with the offense for some time. It’ll be nice to see Montgomery still on the team when it starts winning again.