Quarterback Jared Goff expressed to reporters this week that he knew the running game could become very special when Montgomery and Gibbs were added to the roster.
He indicated he was shocked the Chicago Bears were willing to let a player of his caliber depart in free agency.
“Shoot, yeah, I mean, the day they got here. Really, I mean both of them. I saw D-Mo from across the field for years in Chicago, and I was shocked when they let him walk,” Goff said. “And then shoot, when we landed him, it was like, ‘Holy smokes, we just got one of the best backs in the League.’ And then you draft Gibbs, it’s like, ‘Wow, we’ve got two of the best backs in the League.’ They feed off each other; they’re both obviously incredibly hard-working and good players. But I think the energy they kind of feed off each other. One of them’s running well, the other guy wants to run well too, and they’re as good as it gets.”
John Morton raved about Montgomery’s professionalism and hard-working nature. Detroit’s younger backs are learning every day in practice what it means to be a well-rounded player that is tough, gritty, and reliable.
“Man, he’s just a stud how he works,” Morton said. “A true professional. He reminds me of a lot of guys I’ve coached. Man, they just take everything. It’s like I come into work, I’ve got my lunch pail, I’ve got my hard hat, every day he brings it. No matter what.
“And when he gets his rep, he goes full steam. It’s pretty cool,” Morton added. “Both those backs, it’s pretty cool watching those guys. And it carries over to the game, and it’s contagious. The young guys see how all these veteran guys work, it’s pretty cool.”
When asked by Lions OnSI which player Montgomery reminded him of, Morton noted, “Anquan Boldin. It was the same for him every day. No matter the win or loss, it just worked. Just worked. There have been other guys, but he’s the main guy that I always think of. He’s one of my favorite guys I’ve ever been around.”
Before the season, the 28-year-old reminded supporters that even though the buzz surrounding Jahmyr Gibbs was quite loud, nobody should forget what he still brings to the offense.
Dan Campbell was reminded this week that Montgomery was telling people not to forget about him and what the reaction was to his 151-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Ravens.
“I haven’t forgotten about David,” Campbell said. “So, I can tell you that right now. He’s exactly what we know he is. We know what David is. I mean, that’s his type of game. That’s right up his alley. And so, we know the kind of back he is. We feel like he can do everything for us. And the one-two punch with him and Jahmyr) Gibbs, we think, is what makes both of those guys pretty special.
“They play off of each other, they give each other a breather, we trust both of them in the game to do multiple jobs. And that guy, he’s special.”