The Chicago Bears have a great problem in their hands: There's only one football, but they have two starting-caliber running backs. One of them, a former seventh-round pick, wasn't even supposed to be this good.
But now, even after giving D'Andre Swift a contract extension, Ben Johnson and his coaching staff must acknowledge a new reality. Kyle Monangai is blossoming right before their eyes, and it's time they make him the top dog.
Despite being used roughly half of the time, Monangai has been the more aggressive and efficient running back in the Windy City. Maybe it's time he and his veteran sidekick switch places and roles for a change.
The Chicago Bears must let Kyle Monangai roam free
Through three games, Monangai has logged 30 carries to Swift's 54. However, the second-year pro is averaging an absurd 5.9 yards per carry, compared to Swift's 4.7, which is also, admittedly, a pretty decent figure.
However, this goes well beyond traditional stats. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Monangai is averaging 4.50 yards after contact per carry, the second-highest figure in the league. His YPA is also the second-best in football.
Monangai also has a 42.7 percent breakaway percentage, reaffirming his spot as one of the most elusive ball-carriers in the game. That's despite not getting nearly as many opportunities as his fellow running mate.
Of course, this doesn't mean that the Bears shouldn't stick with Swift as well. He's also a star, and Ben Johnson's running back committees have been great, partly because of how well both players complement one another. We already saw it in Detroit with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
If anything, a big part of Monangai's success comes from Swift having also done a great job of wearing down the defense to make room for him, the more powerful and aggressive of the two. That said, maybe this team would benefit from evening things up a little bit.
Maybe a 50-50 carry split would be better. They're already averaging a league-leading 184.3 rushing yards per game, but even the best things can be improved, and it feels like the Bears are wasting a perfect opportunity here.
Ben Johnson wants to have the highest-scoring offense in NFL history, and as ambitious as that goal might be, he does have the personnel to at least come pretty close. Maybe giving his second-year running back a longer leash will be just what he needs to inch closer to that goal.
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