David Montgomery’s debut went about as well as the Bears could have hoped.
The rookie third-round pick got the bulk of the workload early in the first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, and he showed off all of the traits that had him so well regarded coming out of college.
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Early in the second quarter, the Bears rattled off a six-play, 49-yard drive that was capped off with Montgomery’s first touchdown in the NFL.
On that drive, the first-year running back carried the ball three times, with one play called back by penalty, and he caught two passes for 29 yards before the seven-yard touchdown run.
It was just the first half of a preseason game, but Montgomery showed the contact balance and explosiveness the Bears loved, along with receiving ability and even pass-blocking prowess.
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He looked the part as an every-down running back, and he’s making it easy for Bears fans to forget about Jordan Howard.
Matt Nagy still might bring Montgomery along slowly with the veterans Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis ahead of him on the depth chart, but if the rookie keeps making plays like this, he’ll take over as the top back sooner rather than later.