The hype surrounding the Chicago Bears isn’t stopping anytime soon. Fresh faces at receiver, offensive line, tight end, and — most importantly — head coach have fueled optimism and given Caleb Williams new life heading into Year 2.
Subsequently, seventh-round rookie running back Kyle Monangai has flown under the radar. With relative struggles from D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson ahead of him, there’s some room for him to put himself on the map.
That process began during Sunday’s 24-24 tie against the Miami Dolphins.
Welcome to the NFL, rookie
Monangai played 27 offensive snaps during his preseason debut. Chicago didn’t play its starters, giving him ample opportunity to log six carries for 30 yards. He also returned a kick for 22 yards.
After the game, he spoke about his first game action in an NFL contest.
“It felt good to just play football again, be out there in front of fans,” Monangai said, via Bears on CHSN (h/t Bears Wire). “The way I can play, the way I run the ball, between tackles, outside, do everything a running back has to do. Do things without the ball in my hands, block, catch the ball out of the backfield, I had a chance to do some of those things. But I also didn’t get a chance to do some of those things either. Just at a glance, I have to clean up some stuff, get better, I’m going to watch the film, learn from it, and get better next week.”
Interestingly enough, Monangai struggled in an area where he found great success at Rutgers. He was largely blown up in pass protection, welcomed to the NFL with full-speed defenders flattening him.
Frankly, his path to playing time likely depends on improvement here. He’ll have plenty of chances to remedy his pass protection in the coming weeks, but he must improve to see passing-down snaps on Sundays.
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Still, Monangai was an effective rusher, and his pre-draft testing undersells his twitchiness. He’s fundamentally sound, too, which bodes well while earning head coach Ben Johnson’s trust. Johnson was notably a part of the staff that jettisoned Swift after his consistency and vision fell short of expectations in Detroit. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him lose ground in 2025, too, leaving Monangai and Roschon Johnson to backfill those snaps.
It’s too early to suggest Monangai is a likely candidate to break out under Johnson’s tutelage, but the rookie’s approach is welcomed, and his talent is good enough to see real playing time. The stage is set for him to take another step toward a bigger role, making him a player to watch as the preseason continues.
Fans will get the chance to do that on Sunday when the Bears host the Buffalo Bills.
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