David Montgomery is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery as the Lions' injury problems continue to mount

“Sonic” will have to finish the 2024 NFL season without “Knuckles.”

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell announced that star running back David Montgomery will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered in Sunday’s 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills .

That leaves only Jahmyr Gibbs on the roster, and Craig Reynolds will likely sign him until the end.

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Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery runs into the end zone for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. (Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images)

It was initially reported that Montgomery would be out indefinitely with his injury, although the idea that he could return at some point this season remained unclear.

“We’re going to miss him,” Campbell said.

Now with Montgomery out, Campbell has another key Lions player who can’t improve his chances of making the Super Bowl. In fact, they lost other key players in this game.

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Detroit’s injury issues include defensive tackle Alim McNeil (torn ACL), cornerback Carlton Davis (broken jaw), whom they traded before the NFL deadline to bolster the secondary, and cornerback Khalil Dorsey (broken ankle), all of whom came off the bench Lost to Buffalo.

According to NFL Network, Davis has at least a chance to return this season, with the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 26 being a possibility.

The Lions have 22 players on injured reserve, including star defenseman Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his leg earlier this season.

Jared Goff hands off to David Montgomery

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff hands off to running back David Montgomery during the Buffalo Bills game at Ford Field. (David Reginek-Imagn Images)

Other players out this year include DE Marcus Davenport (triceps), LB Derrick Barnes (PCL, MCL), LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ACL) and DT Kyle Peko (pec).

The next man up mentality is something NFL teams practice every season, knowing that there is a risk of injury every time they step on the field. However, the Lions are going through a brutal stretch, and players Campbell and the rest of the team were hoping to lead them to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

They came close last season before blowing a halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers and ultimately losing in the NFC Championship Game. But the Lions brought back many of the same players while filling any holes in the roster to try again.

Of course, with a score of 12:2 on the year and three games remaining, they are still number 1. They have secured their playoff spot and the chance to get into the “Big Game”.