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Bears fans expecting breakout game from Kyle Monangai against Bengals

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 9:10 AM ET

Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai has a chance to make a big statement in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals. And the chance he's getting -- to start an NFL game -- doesn't happen often for first-year players who enter the league as a seventh-round pick.

But where Monangai was drafted means nothing now. Instead, the fact that he's built enough trust with the coaching staff to start by the midway point of his rookie season speaks volumes.

Indeed, Monangai is getting his crack at the statting job because veteran D'Andre Swift is down with a groin injury. Coach Ben Johnson said this week that Swift has been dealing with the groin injury for several weeks, and that rest is needed to get him back to full health.

For Monangai, it means leading the Bears' backfield againt the Bengals, who enter Week 9 with the NFL's worst run defense.

Cincinnati ranks 32nd in rushing yards allowed per game (151.9). When combined with Johnson's affinity for the running game, there may not be a ceiling on how many yards Kyle Monangai rushes for.

GAMEDAY CHICAGO!

Bears vs. Bengals. Week 9

No Swift? No problem. It’s the Kyle Monangai game.

He’s RB1, 32nd ranked rush defense in CIN, and it’s his chance to make a statement

Let’s go!!! ⬇️pic.twitter.com/Irtqkx8u7h
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@JAYChi_Bears) November 2, 2025

Indeed, there is a ceiling on his rushing total. But, what is it?

I decided to pose that question to Chicago Bears fans this week, and the confidence in Monangai is very high, to say the least.

Over 68% of Bears fans who voted predicted that he would run for at least 75 yards. Of that 68%, 31% believe he will run for over 100 yards.

How many yards will Kyle Monangai run for against the Bengals:
— BearsTalk (@TheBearsTalk) November 1, 2025

That's quite the proclamation for a dude who almost went undrafted in April and has only 42 carries for 186 yards and one touchdown coming into Week 9.

Kyle Monangai was a star at Rutgers, where he ended his college career running for 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024.

There's a chance Kyle Monangai's time as the Bears' RB1 could extend beyond Week 9, too.

“It’s really been a chronic thing for a while now,” Johnson said of Swift’s injury this week. “I think it probably goes earlier than (Week 6) that he’s been feeling something. We’re just doing our due diligence to make sure that we’re getting the best version of Swift to help this team, for him and his individual success. We just want to make sure that we have him at a good spot for the whole season.”

A big performance by Monangai against the Bengals could make the Bears feel good about giving Swift another week to recover. And if Monangai stacks back-to-back big games as Chicago's RB1? He might not give the job back.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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