As Ben Johnson crafts his first offense with the Chicago Bears, all eyes will be on quarterback Caleb Williams and the passing game. But for Johnson’s plans to go off successful, the Bears must make massive strides in the run game as well.
Because of this, Chicago was projected to land a standout running back all offseason. However, the only real addition the Bears made was seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai. Still, the fact the team has been so quiet on the running back front shows how Johnson feels about what he has.
In terms of Monangai, the seventh-rounder has already surpassed any early expectations. While things will be much different during joint practices and the preseason, let alone the regular season, Johnson is already seeing a bright immediate future for the rookie runner, via Patrick Finely of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I’ve been very pleased with where he’s at,” coach Ben Johnson said after practice. “I think he’s a guy that we’re going to be able to trust this fall.”
Earlier in the offseason, Johnson has referred to Monangai as a “sponge,” when it comes to picking up information and that he expects the running back to be a “glue guy,” on the Bears.
Kyle Monangai attempting to make immediate impact
There are numerous reasons Monangai fell to the seventh-round. He stands just 5-foot-8 and ran a poor 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Because of those reasons, Bears fans must temper expectations when it comes to the rookie.
However, there is no doubting Monangai has been drawing considerable buzz throughout the offseason. For all his flaws, he is a clear favorite of Johnson’s. The Bears didn’t just pick his name out of a hat. With Chicago’s new head coach wiping the slate clean, Monangai has been given a true opportunity to prove he can succeed at the NFL level.
He had no problems shining during his five years at Rutgers, running for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns. Monangai led the Big Ten with 1,262 rushing yards in 2023 before setting new career-highs in yardage (1,279) and touchdowns (14) in 2024. Monangai was named First-team All Big-Ten.
The rookie still has plenty of prove to make a true impact in year one. However, he has clearly gotten off on the right foot when it comes to impressing Johnson.
Chicago Bears competition
Monangai simply won’t be handed a feature role though, despite any endorsements from his head coach. As it stands, he is behind both D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson in the running back pecking order.
Swift is poised to enter the season as Chicago’s RB1. His Bears debut saw him earn a career-high 253 carries, rushing for 959 yards and six touchdowns. While the near 1,000 yards is nice, Swift averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. Johnson has worked with the running back in the past and understands his strengths. But Swift must be much more efficient to retain his starting role.
Johnson, the running back, matched Swift’s team-leading six touchdowns in 2024. However, he received just 55 carries overall, running for 150 yards. Johnson has proven to be a talented goal line back, but he needs to show a bit more versatility to land a bigger role.
With running back being deemed such a big need, there will be understandable disappointment should the Bears’ current plans not work out. But if Monangai is as impactful as Johnson thinks he could be, Chicago will have found a true diamond in the rough with their seventh-round pick.
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