Patriots vs. Raiders: Ty Montgomery Leaves With Injury

The New England Patriots hybrid rusher/receiver had been making a strong case to earn the spot as the team’s primary third down back.

FOXBORO — With the retirement of running back James White, the New England Patriots found themselves in search of a reliable option on third-down.

It appeared that the Pats had found their man in hybrid runner/receiver Ty Montgomery. 

However, a potential injury during the Patriots’ preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday may derail Montgomery’s regular season debut. 

With just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Montgomery delivered a four-yard run to the Patriots 42-yard line. Unfortunately, he appeared to roll his ankle in the opposite direction of his body and remained down on the field.  Montgomery was helped to the sideline by New England’s training personnel, where he slammed his helmet in frustration. After a brief evaluation, he was taken via cart to the locker room.  

Montgomery had made a strong case to earn a roster spot, with a strong performance during both training camp, as well as the preseason. His special teams acumen may help his case, as he took 48% of the New Orleans Saints’ snaps a year ago, both as a kick returner and on coverage teams.

With the Patriots, he was expected to settle into an offensive option on third-down, as well as a backfield receiver. At his best, he can provide solid contributions as a hybrid receiver/running back and kick returner. Montgomery's addition was to have helped to mitigate the losses of running back Brandon Bolden and fullback Jakob Johnson, who both signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Both Bolden and Johnson were regular contributors both on offense, and special teams. 

Montgomery’s status for the remainder of the game has yet to be provided. 

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