Lions’ Montgomery set for more tests on hurt rib

TAMPA, Fla. — Lions running back David Montgomery went to the locker room with a rib injury in the first half of Detroit’s 20-6 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Montgomery was injured at 7:34 in the second quarter, after catching a short pass to the left side from quarterback Jared Goff.

He laid on the field for a moment before ultimately walking off on his own. He was later ruled out for the rest of the game.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said the initial tests were negative, but Montgomery will undergo more on Monday.

“I’d like to say I don’t think it’ll be some long-term issue, but I won’t know until tomorrow for sure,” Campbell said.

Montgomery had six rushes for 14 yards against a stingy Buccaneers defense. The Lions as a team finished with 40 rushing yards, their fewest in a win since 2016 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Losing David today … it’s hard. You have a lot of faith in Craig (Reynolds) and (Devine) Ozigbo, but Dave has kind of been our guy all year and him going out, it makes it tough,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “But that’s where we want to live and die by that run and have everything off it. Sometimes, that’s not the case and today it wasn’t.”

In Week 2, Montgomery suffered a thigh injury that forced him to miss the Lions’ victory over the Falcons the following week. With 385 yards and six touchdowns, he is Detroit’s leading rusher.

The Lions were already playing without rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has missed the past two weeks with a hamstring injury.

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