Bears RB David Montgomery out vs. Vikings; Lamar Miller could replace him

The Bears ruled out starting running back David Montgomery for Monday against the Vikings, and that could provide a long-awaited opportunity for former Pro Bowler Lamar Miller.

Montgomery suffered a concussion in the loss to the Titans, leaving the Bears with Cordarrelle Patterson (three yards per carry this season), Ryan Nall (two career carries) and Artavis Pierce (one career offensive snap) at the position.

None are as intriguing as Miller, who is trying to come back from tearing his ACL in the 2019 preseason. The Bears signed him to their practice squad Oct. 5 and have until Sunday at 3 p.m. to promote him.

“When he was playing at his highest level, he was one of the best running backs in the NFL,” coach Matt Nagy said. “There’s an excitement of the possibility of him being able to fill a role for us. I do love this story.”

Miller put up 973 yards rushing (4.6 per carry) and 163 receiving to go with six touchdowns for the Texans in 2018. He averaged 1,251 yards from scrimmage from 2014 through ‘18.

It’s unclear how strong his knee is, however. Running backs coach Charles London hinted Monday that Miller is “progressing” toward full capacity, but not there yet. Nagy left it at, “He could be an option.”