What do the Bears look like at running back if Montgomery remains out?

When Bears running back Ryan Nall caught a pass from quarterback Nick Foles at the 5-yard line Sunday, Nall braced for impact.

The 24-year-old backup running back had touched the ball only a handful of times in his short career, and more often than not there was a defender on top of him. What he wasn't expecting Sunday against the Tennessee Titans was space - but that's what he had.

"My first instinct was to brace myself as I was catching and when I realized that I hadn't been hit yet, and I realized that there was all this space, I was so excited," Nall said. "I just barreled through there."

Nall busted his way the final five yards for the end zone and his first career touchdown.

The Bears might need more of that if starting running back David Montgomery can't pass the concussion protocol by Monday night. Montgomery took a hit to the helmet with about six minutes remaining against the Titans. Nall stepped in for 10 snaps, catching four passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. Nall didn't take any handoffs, but the Bears were trailing 24-3 when he entered the game.

Nall took advantage of his opportunities Sunday, but hasn't been afforded many chances this season outside of special teams. The Bears have tried to fit Cordarrelle Patterson into their running back plans. While Patterson's had a few key plays, he hasn't seen more than seven carries in any game this year.

If Montgomery can't play Monday, an opportunity is going to be there for someone.

"I've been in this league for a long time and seen some guys go down and some guys just step up," Patterson said. "They're waiting on this opportunity their whole life. We've got great running backs. That's how I feel about my team and I don't feel like we're going to struggle."

Nall is one of those guys who has waited for his shot. A third-year pro, Nall finally made the active roster out of training camp for the first time in 2020. He caught one pass in Week 2, then didn't see the ball on offense again until Week 8. He has six catches on the year, but hasn't seen a single carry.

"My first two years here, first year-and-a-half, [I was] on practice squad," Nall said. "My mindset wasn't going to be, 'Woe is me, I'm not playing, why should I care?' It was going to be, 'OK, how can I take this and learn from this and be better so when my number does get called, I'm going to be ready?'"

Nall did it through his special teams play, where he has played more than 60% of special teams snaps in 2020. His patience could pay off this week. The Bears might have no choice but to give Nall the ball, something Matt Nagy and his staff have been reluctant to do.

The wild card is practice squad running back Lamar Miller. Like Nall, Miller has been awaiting his chance in 2020. Unlike Nall, though, Miller has done this before.

Miller is a ninth-year NFL veteran, previously with the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans, who twice rushed for 1,000 yards. An ACL tear in the 2019 preseason ended his season and he has not played in an NFL game since 2018.

The Bears have kept Miller stashed on the practice squad for weeks now. If there was ever a time to bring him up to the 53-man roster, it would be now. There remains uncertainty about how healthy his knee is.

Bears running backs coach Charles London coached Miller for two years in Houston.

"I know what Lamar at 100% looks like," London said. "And we've been watching him, he's really progressing and he's doing well and hopefully he can contribute soon."

London noted that Miller is "working his way through things" with his knee. Comments like that could be concerning, given that Miller is more than a year removed from his injury.

Or it could be nothing more than the concern that naturally comes with a major injury. Patterson said Miller "wouldn't be here if he couldn't play ball."

"Lamar, he's a cool guy," Patterson said. "He's kind of quiet, but he gets the work done. Hopefully his number's called this week and gets out there and he steps up and [contributes] big for us like we've seen in the past."

The discussion could all be for naught. It's possible Montgomery passes through concussion protocol by Monday, but there's no guarantees.

In the year of the contingency plan, as Nagy has called it, the Bears need their contingencies at running back right now.