This browser does not support the Video element.
Dan Campbell: I didn't have them ready
Lions coach Dan Campbell talks about the loss to the Bills.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Detroit Lions will be without one of their biggest stars in David Montgomery after he suffered an injury to his knee in Sunday's 48-42 loss to the Bills.
ESPN's Adam Schefter posted on X on David Montgomery suffered an MCL injury. Head Coach Dan Campbell confirmed the information Monday afternoon.
"He's going to he's going to require surgery that'll put him out for the rest of the year" Campbell said. "He had gotten in at some point yesterday in that game. I mean, David's so tough man. You know, he continue to play through and, and then got it checked out today and, you know, and realized that's what it was."
Campbell said Montgomery is an ultimate teammate but the Lions will need someone else to step up.
"You know we're going to miss him man. He's he's another one of these guys that got us to this position - helped get us to where we're at. The rest of us, we owe him. We owe him to keep going," Campbell said.
Montgomery rushed for 775 yards with 12 touchdowns this season. He's also caught 36 passes for 341 yards.
Head coach Dan Campbell will speak Monday afternoon during his regularly scheduled press conference.
MORE: Lions DB Khalil Dorsey collides with teammate, carted off with leg injury against Bills
The injury to Montgomery comes as a surprises and is the latest in a seemingly endless list of injuries to the NFC North leaders. Sunday evening also saw defensive tackle Alim McNeill go down with a knee injury, cornerback Carlton Davis III left with a jaw injury, and reserve cornerback and key special teams player Khalil Dorsey broke his right leg.
Campbell said Dorsey's injury was similar to the one that ended Aidan Hutchinson’s season earlier this year.
The Lions have more players on injured reserve than anyone else in the NFL.
What is an MCL injury?
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a band of tissue that runs from the thigh to the shin on the inside of the knee.
An injury occurs to that ligament when the outside of the knee is hit, causing the inside to stretch or even tear.
A mild injury can keep a player out for a few days or weeks. A moderate injury could take a month or more to recover while a severe injury could take two to four months.