Entering his seventh NFL season and third with the Detroit Lions, Montgomery might be one-half of the NFL’s most explosive backfield duo, but he wants you to know he’s still got something to prove. And he’s carrying that message into the 2025 season like a man on a mission.
“This is probably the hungriest that I have been, because I feel like a lot of people forget that I’m here in the offense, too,” Montgomery said as quoted by Pride of Detroit. “I’m not here to prove anybody wrong. I’m here to prove myself right and be the best teammate that I can be, but I definitely got a big chip on my shoulder.”
Part of what makes Montgomery so valuable is how seamlessly he complements Gibbs. The speed-power combo keeps defenses off balance. And now, with Gibbs expected to line up more often in the slot or split out wide, Montgomery believes they’ll cause even more chaos.
“It’s super exciting,” Montgomery said. “Being able to have me and him on the field at the same time, it’ll be tough for defenses to prepare for us.”
Still Something to Prove
Montgomery’s 2024 season ended on a sour note, an injury that forced him to miss the final regular-season game and a quiet playoff performance against the Washington Commanders. He hasn’t forgotten. That ending is fueling what might be his most determined offseason yet.
He’s not just chasing redemption for himself. He’s also motivated by a locker room that’s grown tired of moral victories.
“Everybody is out there hungry,” Montgomery said. “We’re tired of just being close. Everybody’s tired of being close. It’s cool to be close at first, but you don’t want to get comfortable with being close all the time. That’s not what you want to be known for, especially when you know you’ve got the guys that you’ve got on the team. You want to finish it.
“So this is the year for us: the year of the reckoning and the year that we choose that we need to finish.”
The Bottom Line
If Montgomery’s mindset is any indication, the Lions’ offense won’t be satisfied with another near-miss. The veteran running back is locked in, focused, and maybe more motivated than ever before. And with a healthy Montgomery sharing the backfield with Gibbs, Detroit’s offense could be even more dangerous than the one that led the league in scoring a year ago.
Drafted with AI assistance, edited and fact-checked by DSN staff.
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