Why Detroit Lions’ David Montgomery Ate a Carrot Post-Thanksgiving Win

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery had a good reason for hilariously picking up a carrot instead of a turkey leg after the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day victory. 

Montgomery, 27, was spotted by CBS cameras gnawing on a celebratory carrot instead of the customary turkey after the Lions’ 23-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday, November 28, despite teammates Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown going straight for the traditionally favored bird. 

Turns out, Montgomery adopted a vegan diet in 2020 as a member of the Bears, which he credited for his increased level of play. 

“That’s probably the biggest thing,” Montgomery told ChicagoBears.com in December 2020 of the dietary change. “Feeling more energized. Just eating healthy and taking care of my body more.”

Viewers at home couldn’t help but delight in the dichotomy of the image. 

“David Montgomery taking a carrot while everyone else grabs a turkey leg is too funny for me 😂,” one fan wrote via X. Another said, “All these dudes smashing their turkey….But then you’ve got David Montgomery nibbling on a carrot like a goofy little child with an ice cream cone in the corner WTF 💀😂🤣.”

Despite not picking up the turkey on Thursday, Montgomery told CBS’ Tracy Wolfson there was still plenty for which to be thankful, including his running back mate Gibbs. 

“Definitely thankful for him,” Montgomery said in his postgame interview with Wolfson, 49. “Ultimately, I’m thankful for all of the guys. We’ve got Jared [Goff] leading us.”

Montgomery then gave a nod to the Bears, who he played for from 

“I used to be over there, so I kinda know how that feels,” he said. “I get to a place where it’s mad love and it’s been good.  I’m grateful to be here and I’m excited for what we got to do next.”

The Lions’ Turkey Day win — their 10th in a row overall — improved their record to 11-1 on the season, keeping the team at the top of the NFC standings.

The celebratory post-game turkey platter was enjoyed by Goff, 30, who greatly reveled in the Lions first win on Thanksgiving since 2016.

“That’s something that I’ll never forget,” Goff told Wolfson. “It was actually pretty good. The stuffing was good. We were having a good time. It’s awesome. It’s a memory I’ll have forever.”

The loss was especially painful for the Bears, who fired head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday, November 29. The defeat, largely placed on the shoulders of Eberflus, 54, for poor clock management in the game’s final seconds, was Chicago’s sixth in a row and dropped them to 4-8 on the season. 

Detroit returns to action when they host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, December 5 at Ford Field.