Ben Johnson’s telling comments on D’Andre Swift’s injury add even more urgency to how the Bears handle things this weekend and beyond

Considering the Bears had an early bye week, this is the best decision to make for Swift's health and availability down the stretch. The last thing the Bears want is another situation that happened with Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who attempted to play through a groin issue only to be placed on the injured reserve and expected to miss the majority of the season.

"It's a week-to-week deal with where he's at," Johnson added about Swift's injury. "But, he understands. He's a tough guy, he wants to be out there competing and playing for his teammates. He wants to win games. A little bit for us is, we got to protect him from himself too... He's going to pay dividends for us down the stretch."

This season, Swift has been a bell cow for the Bears' rushing attack and found a new groove coming out of the team's Week 5 bye. In the last three games, Swift carried the rock 44 times for 277 yards and two touchdowns while adding 107 yards and another score as a receiver out of the backfield.

It's a big loss, but at the same time, the Bears have been integrating another back into the rotation the last few weeks in seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai.

Confidence in Kyle Monangai could pay off for the Bears with Swift out in Week 9

With Swift officially ruled out for Sunday, and the possibility of beyond, the Bears will have to turn to Monangai to lead the ground game, a player that's developed a lot of trust lately and the numbers speak for that.

Over the last two weeks, Monangai has totaled 20 attempts on the ground for 105 yards and one touchdown. In the team's first five games, Monangai had 22 carries for 81 yards and zero touchdowns.

Monangai's been getting more playing time offensively and more opportunities with the football with some positive production coming with it. Just look at what the team's head coach had to say when asked about Monangai's growth earlier this week.

“He’s playing well in all three areas: running the ball, in pass protection, and catching the ball,” Johnson added of Monangai. “He’s playing really good football right now. I do think you can see an uptick in his usage. Zero fear whatsoever. He’ll put his face in there and he’s very stout, I know he’s not the biggest running back out there, but he plays bigger than his size. He plays faster than his speed. You can’t say enough about his play speed in general and his ability out there on the field.”

If need be, the Bears have confidence in Monangai stepping into a lead role. As for other options, the Bears also have Travis Homer on the active roster and Brittain Brown on the practice squad. Roschon Johnson, the only other back not named Swift or Monangai to receive a carry this season, was also ruled out for Sunday's game going into the weekend with a back injury.