Lions' David Montgomery confident after 'strenuous' knee rehab - ESPN

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery was a full participant in Tuesday's walk-through practice at the Meijer Performance Center.

As the top-seeded Lions prepare to host the Washington Commanders on Saturday night at Ford Field, Montgomery said he is excited to return for the divisional round after missing Detroit's final three regular-season games with a right MCL injury.

«It's refreshing,» Montgomery said. «Kind of to be back in the position to where I can help the team, yeah, I missed it, so happy to be back.»

Montgomery was also a key contributor for the Lions in last year's playoff run to the NFC Championship Game, rushing for 183 yards in three games, the most in one postseason in franchise history.

Montgomery says he is confident in the knee and «wouldn't be out there if I wasn't ready.» His rigorous rehabilitation routine included physically strengthening the MCL, which he described as «pretty strenuous» but also necessary to reach his goal of returning within this time frame.

After suffering the knee injury during a Week 15 loss to Buffalo, Montgomery received three medical opinions before choosing rehab over surgery with the optimistic outcome of a playoff return. He said he is happy with the decision.

«I think the speculation that I was getting surgery or that was kind of the end-all, be-all. Nobody really ever knew,» Montgomery said. «So when it got put out, I didn't know that I was getting surgery. So the media told me, so it was news to me, but I'm always pretty confident in who I am and how I prepare.»

Montgomery ran for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, making him the Lions' second-leading rusher behind Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs, who had 1,412 rushing yards and a league-high