Ty Montgomery To IR; Patriots ‘Next Man Up?’
FOXBORO — The hits to the New England Patriots offense just keep coming.
As confirmed through a team statement on Tuesday, the Pats have placed hybrid runner/receiver Ty Montgomery on injured reserve (IR). The 29-year old had been dealing with both ankle and knee ailments since suffering an injury during their preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 26.
Montgomery’s placement on IR means that he will be sidelined for at least four games. The earliest return for which he is eligible would be the Patriots’ Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 16.
Following a strong performance during training camp, Montgomery continued to play a prominent role in the Pats offense, as well as special teams, during the preseason. Despite his injury, the Stanford product earned a spot on the Pats 53-man roster and practiced with the team in preparation for their season-opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 11.
Despite entering the game as ‘questionable’ with a knee injury, Montgomery was present for 21 offensive snaps. He finished the game with three catches on four targets for 15 yards, earning the Pats’ only touchdown reception in the third quarter. He also aligned at running back, carrying the ball twice for -2 yards. New England ultimately fell to the Dolphins 20-7 at Hard Rock Stadium, putting the team at 0-1 to start the 2022 season.
Montgomery’s absence is a setback for both him and the team. The seven-year veteran’s success with the team in 2022 will be determined by his play on the field. He is coming off a statistically underwhelming season in 2021, in which he averaged 2.9 yards per carry on 15 rushes and caught 16 passes for 95 yards and zero touchdowns for the Saints.
Still, the Patriots have high hopes for him as a solid reserve contributor on offense. During his limited time on the field as a Patriot, he appeared to be settling into an offensive option on third-down, as well as a backfield receiver. He was also the logical choice as their third Z-receiver option [off the line of scrimmage] along with fellow wideouts Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne.
In his absence, second-year running back Rhamondre Stevenson will likely assume the duties of New England’s third-down rusher, and pass-catcher from the backfield.
Rookie Pierre Strong, Jr. is also a possible candidate to see increased snaps. Strong is the type of runner who can move with ease between-the-tackles, while demonstrating great patience in finding his seam. Once he does so, he has an above average burst through the hole and the speed necessary to break away. Despite some struggles as a backfield receiver, he still averaged 6.8 yards per catch in 2021.
Veteran runner J.J. Taylor and rookie Kevin Harris are members of the practice squad who might be elevated in the coming days, as well.
Given his prowess as a kick returner, Montgomery was expected to be in the mix for that role, as well. Safety Kyle Dugger is expected to temporarily relieve him for those duties.
The answer to filling Montgomery’s void as a receiver may be found within the Patriots’ corresponding roster move from Tuesday, signing wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey to the 53-man roster.
Despite his late arrival, the 6-4, 225-pound receiver made an immediate impact on the team — at least in preseason. Appearing in all three of New England’s exhibition games, Humphrey caught a team-high 13 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. His productivity made him a dark-horse roster candidate heading into the final roster adjustment period on Aug. 30. While he was cut by the team, he was quickly signed to their practice squad.
Humphrey served as a gameday elevation for Week 1, taking only three offensive snaps, while registering no statistics. Still, Humphrey’s size and pass-catching ability make him a logical choice to contribute as a perimeter receiver, or potentially a ‘move’ tight end in some select packages.
New England will return to the practice field on Wednesday, as they begin preparations for their Week 2 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 18 at Acrisure Stadium.
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