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Debate

Is Montgomery's success with the Lions proof that the Bears are losing their competitive edge?

David Montgomery believed that the Chicago Bears “sucked the fun” out of football, so he got up and left. Well, not exactly, but that’s pretty much it. Also, he wanted a legit shot with a team that has playoff capabilities, ergo, the reason to join the Detroit Lions. The running back believed that the Motor City team was a place where “competitiveness” was appreciated, so he joined them.

The Chicago team is still jeopardizing themselves by making questionable trades sometimes. Montgomery was a bit salty when he got traded and a year later, his fellow running back, Tarik Cohen clowned Ryan Poles, the Chicago GM, for his decisions. If anything, this might have been the time to do so because the Lions RB just got an extension.

But before we talk about Montgomery’s extension, let’s take a look at Tarik Cohen’s story on Instagram. He shared the Detroit Lions’ recent post that said, “We’ve signed @reallyunderstandme to a contract extension through the 2027 season ️ .” The former Bears RB (now with the Jets) didn’t mince his words when he shared the news about his old colleague’s extension.

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USA Today via Reuters

“Any GM who would let bro walk is stupid AF [laughing emojis],” Cohen wrote on his Instagram Story. Coming back to Montgomery’s victory lap around the Bears, the running back just scored a 2-year $18.25 million deal with Detroit which will kick in next year. This deal gives him $10.5 million in new guaranteed money and gives him an opportunity to forge a solid bond with his backfield partner, Jahmyr Gibbs, who is also a rookie.

Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have helped the Lions become the league’s seventh-best rushing attacks. Montgomery started showing off his true strength when he joined Detroit. Last year, he had 219 carries, 1,015 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. This year, he already has 63 carries in four games he’s played so far. Not only that, but he’s also scored a touchdown in each game and helped Detroit reach 3-1.

Let’s dial back to the time when Montgomery was in Chicago. What were his reasons for doing so?

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What made David Montgomery leave the Chicago Bears?

What’s your perspective on:

Is Montgomery's success with the Lions proof that the Bears are losing their competitive edge?

Have an interesting take?

It’s not that simple. There’s money involved; some hidden sentiments might have also fueled him to make a move. Some even believe that the Bears just simply let him walk out. But according to Ryan Poles that’s not the case. Maybe the Bears going 25-42 when Montgomery was with them made the RB leave. Who knows? The RB summed up his emotions by saying that he’s a competitive person and didn’t see that edge in the Windy City team anymore.

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“That’s all I was used to,” Montgomery said in May last year. “And it got to a point where it sucked the fun out of the game for me because I’m a competitor. I like to compete. That’s what football’s about. It’s so refreshing to be in a place where that’s appreciated.” Ryan Poles on the other hand, thinks he did everything to make his running back stay.

Per the Bear’s GM, his team negotiated correctly, and they were transparent and organized. But maybe it takes more than corporate jargon to make people stick by your side.