The Chicago Bears have the Minnesota Vikings first on their schedule and will play against them on Monday Night Football.
While they got some great news that CB Jaylon Johnson returned to practice for the first time this summer, it looks like that wasn't the case for running back Roschon Johnson, who was absent from Wednesday's practice, according to Brad Biggs.
While this doesn't mean that Johnson won't be out there on Monday night, his injury could present a great chance for rookie RB Kyle Monangai to play in his NFL debut.
Roschon Johnson Missed Bears Practice on Wednesday
Johnson has been nursing a foot injury since Aug. 7 that has kept him sidelined. The fact that he isn't back yet isn't the best sign for his chances of playing. Monangai also went down with a soft tissue injury in August that forced him to miss two preseason games.
The Rutgers product was seen back on the field on Wednesday, showcasing that he may be able to suit up in Week 1. Monangai was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft and quickly caught the attention of his new head coach.
Ben Johnson called the rookie RB a sponge earlier in the offseason, highlighting that he'll do anything the coaches ask of him. Missing time due to that injury halted his development, but returning to the field ahead of Johnson could bode well for the 23-year-old.
The 2023 fourth-round pick has been with Chicago for the last two seasons, logging 502 rushing yards and eight touchdowns over 29 games. The Texas product has served as a solid depth option in the backfield, but him missing a bulk of training camp isn't good.
The Bears are implementing a new offensive scheme under Ben Johnson, so every practice and rep is huge. Another factor that could come into play here is that Johnson didn't draft the 24-year-old. He came to the Windy City under the old coaching staff. Meanwhile, Monangai was snagged in the coach's first draft.
This staff made it clear there would be competition in the running back room, and Monangai was impressive before going down. He could use the next couple of days to ramp things up ahead of the season opener.
It'll be interesting to see if Johnson is able to return to action in the coming days. If not, there's a great possibility that Monangai backs up D'Andre Swift in the season opener.