It took him a while, but Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson finally gave the rookies a longer leash. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III have been more involved lately, and Kyle Monangai has arguably been the best running back on the team in recent weeks.
The rookie seventh-round pick has dominated when given extended touches. The Bears' running game went from being one of the worst in the league to averaging the second-most rushing yards per game (153.8). And, judging by Ben Johnson's latest statement, this is only the beginning for Monangai. During an interview with ESPN NFL insider Peter Schrager, Johnson spoke about Monangai as the future of the organization.
Ben Johnson References Kyle Monangai as a Future RB1
“Kyle Monongai, I mean, Holy cow! For a rookie, you would have no idea. Not only is he a hard runner, willing to lower his shoulder, tough to bring down; but like this guy can do it all. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, excellent in pass protection - got a trust level with him that’s above and beyond," Johnson said.
Truth be told, it's hard to disagree with that statement. In addition to his relentless, hard-hitting running style, Monangai has earned his playing time by creating lanes for others with his blocking and also hauling in most of his targets.
Through the first 12 games of the season (one start), Monangai has turned 121 carries into 591 rushing yards and five scores, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. He also has ten receptions on 17 targets for 97 yards. His 70.2 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 27th in the league, and that's despite not being involved very often in the first month of the season.
D'Andre Swift only has one year left in his contract. He looks like the perfect trade bait for the Bears, or they might even want to cut him to make room for someone else. With the way Monangai is playing, that should be an easy decision for this team.
The Bears will now face a Green Bay Packers' defense that has kept opposing quarterbacks in hell. The running game will be crucial to Chicago's chances of leaving Lambeau Field with a win, and while the Packers are only giving up 98.3 rushing yards per game, having a versatile and hard-nosed tackle-breaker like Kyle Monangai on the field should open things up for Caleb Williams. It will also be the ultimate test to show that he can carry the load for this team in 2026 and so on.
Needless to say, the stretch run could shape the immediate future for Monangai in Chicago if he performs up to the abilities he's flashed as a rookie.