Who won Bears RB battle between David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert

With a new defensive-minded head coach, the Chicago Bears are in for a rebuilding period. The offense will likely lean heavily on its running back talent, behind a questionable offensive line and considering a lack of impact players at receiver. The two returning RBs this year come in the form of David Montgomery, whose 2021 season was shortened by a knee injury but who also put up the fifth-most yards in the league in 2020 and was on the way to a second 1,000-yard season before the injury, and Khalil Herbert, a sixth-round pick from the 2021 draft.

Verdict

When Montgomery fully recovers from his injuries, he’ll almost certainly take the starting position back from Herbert, but given the amount of touches they’re expected to get this season, the two will likely need to be sharing the workload on the field. Herbert has returned to practice since getting carted off the field last weekend. Montgomery has been a proven standout for Chicago, and they won’t want to mess with a sure thing amidst so many unsure factors in 2022.

Fantasy football implications

In terms of yardage, Montgomery is the better pick for fantasy value overall, but they can both expect to see a lot of carries and opportunities to get their numbers up during the season. Herbert will be a good value later-round pick, as his role can be expected to expand this year.

Preseason Stats

Herbert has rushed for 41 yards on 12 attempts this preseason. Montgomery missed the first two preseason games and then rushed for 28 yards on nine carries in the team’s preseason finale.