As Ben Johnson filled out his coaching staff with the Chicago Bears, he made sure to include a number of veteran coaches to help aid his transition. One of those names is new running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. During OTAs, Bieniemy hasn’t been afraid to let loose on any Bears running back.
On Wednesday, it was rookie Kyle Monangai who felt the wrath of Bieniemy. As a seventh-rounder, Monangai has an uphill battle to make the final roster, let alone make an impact on offense. Especially with Bieniemy breathing down his neck.
As the Bears running backs went through drills, the coach wanted to see a bit of a spark from the rookie. But what he saw, in Bieniemy’s own words, was an “old ass man,” via Pat the Designer.
Coach Bieniemy to Kyle Monangai
“You Moving Like A Old A** Man” 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/YV8kRk0G11
— PAT THE DESIGNER (@PatTheDesigner) May 28, 2025
Ben Johnson believes in Eric Bieniemy
Bieniemy has been a coach at either the college or NFL level since 2001. While Johnson and him didn’t coach on the same staff prior, Bieniemy came to the Bears with a resume that speaks for himself. Through OTAs, the coach has proven he can bring a new level of intensity Chicago needed.
Most fans will remember Bieniemy from his time with Kansas City Chiefs. Starting off at running backs coach in 2013, he was elevated to offensive coordinator and help that role through the 2022 season. Bieniemy won two Super Bowl titles with the Chiefs.
But in 2023, he decided to take a chance on him and became the Washington Commanders’ OC. That plan didn’t work out, as Bieniemy was back in the college ranks at UCLA a year now.
Now returning to the NFL, Bieniemy is serving in a running backs coach role he knows all too well. Johnson is optimistic his experience will play a massive role in boosting Chicago’s run game.
Chicago Bears hoping Kyle Monangai steps up
While he was selected in the seventh-round, Monangai has a path to earning an offensive role with the Bears. Both D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson struggled in 2024. If Monangai puts together a strong training camp, perhaps he becomes an immediate favorite of Johnson.
During his five years at Rutgers, Monangai ran for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns. He led the Big Ten with 1,262 rushing yards in 2023 before setting new career-highs in 2024 with 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns. Monangai was named First-team All-Big Ten.
But one of the biggest red flags hanging over Monangai is his lack of top end speed. He ran just a 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. While the running back makes up for it in power and athleticism, his breakaway speed will be questioned all offseason.
If Monangai can prove to be a strong fit in Johnson’s offense, all the doubters will be silence. But if Bieniemy keeps seeing an, ‘old ass man,’ whenever he runs, the Bears will begin phasing him out of their plans.
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