"Sonic" is going to have to finish the 2024 NFL season without "Knuckles."
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell announced that star running back David Montgomery will need season-ending surgery to repair a torn MCL suffered in the 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
That leaves Jahmyr Gibbs as the only featured back now, with Craig Reynolds likely to spell him the rest of the way.
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It was initially reported that Montgomery was out indefinitely with his injury, though it left the idea that he could return at some point this season up in the air.
"We're going to miss him," Campbell said.
Now, with Montgomery out, Campbell has yet another key Lions player unable to help their chances of reaching the Super Bowl. In fact, they lost more key roster pieces in this game.
NFL GREAT SCRUTINIZES LIONS' DAN CAMPBELL FOR AGGRESSIVE ONSIDE KICK DECISION IN LOSS TO BILLS
Detroit’s injury woes include stud defensive tackle Alim McNeil (torn ACL), cornerback Carlton Davis (broken jaw), who they traded for to shore up the secondary before the NFL deadline, and cornerback Khalil Dorsey (fractured ankle), all of which came in the loss to Buffalo.
At least Davis has a chance of making it back this season, with the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 26 a possibility, according to NFL Network.
The Lions have 22 players on the injured reserve, including star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his leg earlier this season.
Other players out for the year include DE Marcus Davenport (triceps), LB Derrick Barnes (PCL, MCL), LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ACL), and DT Kyle Peko (pectoral).
The next-man-up mentality is something NFL teams live by each season, knowing injuries are a risk every time they step on the field. However, the Lions are going through a brutal spell, and it involves players Campbell and the rest of the team hoped would lead them to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
They were close last season before blowing a halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers to ultimately lose in the NFC Championship Game. But the Lions returned many of the same players, while shoring up any holes on the roster to go for it again.
Of course, they still own the No. 1 seed at 12-2 on the year with three games remaining. They've clinched their playoff berth and a chance to get to the "Big Game."
But Campbell is going to have to rally the troops once more, and hope for sustained health on this journey for the remainder of the season.
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