Bears put starting RB David Montgomery on injured reserve with sprained knee

The Bears put running back David Montgomery on injured reserve with a sprained knee, allowing them to fill his roster spot while he’s out.

The move was expected all week, and Montgomery is expected to miss at least a month with the injury he suffered in the 24-14 win over the Lions. He had 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns when he exited.

He misses only a month, Montgomery would be back Week 8 against the 49ers. The high end of the projected recovery time would keep him out going into the Bears’ Week 10 bye.

After a 1,000-yard season in 2020, Montgomery was off to a great start with 309 yards rushing and three touchdowns, plus 49 yards receiving. He was averaging a career-high 4.5 yards per carry.

Damien Williams will take over as the primary running back while Montgomery is out, starting Sunday against the Raiders. Williams has 16 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, as well as eight catches for 41 yards. In his last full season, he had 711 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns for the 2019 Chiefs.