Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson wants to have as much competition as possible for starting jobs before the season and touches during the season. One veteran was put on notice following rookie minicamp this weekend.
The three-day practice was a taste of what’s to come this spring. The Bears have several voluntary minicamp practices with veterans that will begin on May 20. Chicago will have mandatory minicamp from June 3-5.
Running back D’Andre Swift needs to impress his position coach, Eric Bieniemy, and the rest of Johnson’s staff this spring and in training camp to fight off Kyle Monangai for touches in the upcoming season.
The Chicago Bears have a surprise battle brewing
During an appearance on 670 The Score Monday morning, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said there’s a real competition at running back this year. Even though Monangai was taken in the seventh round, the Bears believe he can be a true contributor in the league.
“It’s a wide-open competition there at the running back position,” Biggs said. “You would imagine D’Andre Swift is going to be in the front of that. But there’s opportunity for two things, playing time and touches, and that’s why they drafted him (Monangai).
“Like you look at a lot of these day three picks, and in a lot of cases players are drafted on day three because of traits–like the size, speed, the testing numbers. This kid was drafted because of production in the Big Ten for Rutgers, and you’re envisioning him being able to transfer some of that production that he had in school into the NFL.”
.@BradBiggs on Bears running back Kyle Monangai: "It's a wide-open competition there at the running back position. You would imagine D'Andre Swift will be in the front of that, but there's an opportunity for two things — playing time and touches. That's why they drafted him." pic.twitter.com/fxmmvwP93W
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) May 12, 2025
Kyle Monangai has to prove it in training camp
Monangai recorded 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns on 669 carries (4.8 yards per rush) during his five seasons at Rutgers.
Biggs said that it’s hard to gauge too much during rookie minicamp, as Monangai has to show he’s worthy of touches when the pads come on in training camp later this summer.
However, the big news is that Chicago thinks he has a legitimate chance to unseat Swift in 2025. Seventh-round picks are typically special teams contributors who get a chance here or there on offense during the season.
While the Bears aren’t likely to completely go away from Swift in the upcoming season, it appears Chicago plans to have a running back by committee. That will especially be the case if they sign a veteran running back like Nick Chubb or J.K. Dobbins.
For More Chicago Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.
Dennis Allen’s first impression of newest Chicago Bears defensive draft pick
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
