Dan Campbell expects David Montgomery to play next week

There were times when it looked like running back David Montgomery would miss the rest of the season, but he is expected to be back in the lineup for the Lions’ first playoff game.

Lions coach Dan Campbell originally said Montgomery would have season-ending surgery, but Montgomery asked for additional opinions and was told he could return after a few weeks of rest. He missed the final three games of the regular season and will have a few more weeks before the divisional round, which appears to have worked out.

Campbell told reporters at a news conference Tuesday that he expects Montgomery to return to action in the team’s playoff opener. Montgomery had 1,371 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns during the regular season.

Jahmyr Gibbs has shown he is capable of great things as a leader back in Montgomery’s office, so it will be interesting to see what impact the time off and Gibbs’ rise will have on the division of labor behind the scenes.