Whenever you have starters or key contributors playing in the final preseason game of the summer, you hold your breath until they come off the field healthy. In the midst of New England’s final exhibition with the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, things did not look good for running back Ty Montgomery after he needed to be helped off the field and eventually carted to the locker room after he suffered an ankle injury.
On its face, it looked like the promising campaign that Montgomery, who was able to fly back with the team following the game, had been building towards since joining the team was going to go up in smoke. However, Bill Belichick did provide a glimmer of hope with his latest update on the veteran back and even suggested that he may be on the field when the team practices Monday to begin preparing for the regular season opener against the Miami Dolphins.
“We haven’t practiced since we’ve been back here, so we’ll see how things go today, see what he’s able to do,” Belichick told WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “But I think he’s doing alright.”
The notion that Montgomery may be able to practice in any capacity is good news for the Patriots. The 29-year-old signed a two-year, $3.6 million deal with New England this past March and is primed for a significant role in this offense. With James White retiring, Montgomery could be the club’s passing-down back, which has historically been a high-volume position within the offense.
Montgomery — who is listed as a wide receiver on the team’s roster — has shown tremendous versatility this summer, lining up all over the field and working in kickoff returns, so having this type of Swiss Army knife healthy and available is important for New England as it embarks on the 2022 season.
