The Bears didn’t use running back Jordan Howard as a receiver much before trading him to the Eagles this offseason, but it appears they have plans on using the back they drafted a short time later in that role.
David Montgomery caught 22 passes during his final season at Iowa State, which didn’t stop the Bears from picking him in the third round to complement Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis in the backfield. Since Montgomery’s arrived in Chicago, he’s shown head coach Matt Nagy that he offers more to the passing game than some might have expected.
“We always knew he had great hands,” Nagy said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “You don’t know how great of a route runner a college back is, but he’s a really good route runner. . . . This kid can’t wait. [Neither can] Mike Davis and these other backs. They want to put the pads on.”
Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said he’s heard Montgomery get compared to Matt Forte since being drafted. Expecting that kind of production might be a reach given the other backs on hand, but showing a wide range of skills should assure the rookie a role in Nagy’s offense.