David Montgomery's groin injury might not keep him out as long as Bears fans feared.
The running back is expected to be out two to four weeks, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed of the situation.
Such a window gives Montgomery a chance to suit up for Chicago's season opener against Detroit, and if the long game is more of a concern than anything, the future is looking quite promising for a player who needed to be helped off the field and carted away from practice Wednesday.
As Chicago's primary first- and second-down back, Montgomery's absence would hinder the Bears' early attempts to put together a better offensive showing in 2020 than it did last season. Tarik Cohen is still available, but is more of a multi-talented weapon who should get the ball in space than he is a between-the-tackles runner. The latter is a role occupied by Montgomery, whose understudies include former Oregon State running back Ryan Nall and his former Beavers backup, Artavis Pierce.
The Bears aren't the deepest at the position, meaning Thursday's news on Montgomery is good for the team's outlook. Now we'll wait to see if he can indeed go in Week 1.
