There is no such thing as a guarantee for a 7th round rookie, but for former Rutgers University running back Kyle Monangai, who was selected with the 233rd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, there is a path to a guaranteed role within Chicago’s new-look offense, and it involves quarterback Caleb Williams.
Ever since the Bears selected Williams 1st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, the former Heisman Trophy winner has been under attack… by naysayers who believed he was overhyped, and more problematically, by opposing defenses which rushed the rookie QB with very little resistance in his first season. Enter Monangai, who in addition to competing for carries, will also be competing with fellow Bears running backs to work in pass protection and keep Williams upright.
“Quarterback is the most important person on the field from an offensive perspective, so protecting the quarterback comes first,” Monangai said back in April, per Kole Noble of A to Z Sports. “You gotta protect the quarterback and protect the ball is the philosophy I was raised in. So, every chance I get to protect my quarterback, to make the proper block, it doesn’t always have to be a knockout, but I always have a level of intensity that I think is unmatched that I bring.”
It turns out, Monangai’s pass-blocking chops did play a role in why he ultimately ended up being a day three target for the Bears, who allowed more sacks last season than any other team in the NFL.
“We believe he can come in and compete,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said after the Draft. “We like his contact balance and again just the physical nature of how he plays football and his pass protection is really good as well.”
Kyle Monangai Has a Pair of Fans on Bears Coaching Staff
Obviously the Bears front office and coaching staff took a liking to Monangai, who had a pair of 1,200 yard rushing seasons at Rutgers in 2023 and 2024, before the draft, but since the bowling ball back arrived in the Windy City, he’s gained a pair of key supporters… offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, and head coach Ben Johnson.
“Adding Kyle to that mix is going to be awesome, with the group that’s in there with Roschon (Johnson) and those guys,” the first year offensive coordinator said back in May, according to Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated. “Adding Kyle is a very positive thing, but I think that we’re going to find out more about this group as we move forward.”
More recently, during mandatory minicamp in June, it was Ben Johnson who noted that Monangai was one of the players he was most impressed by.
“Kyle Monangai has really stepped up,” Johnson said in June, according to Sean Hammond of the Chicago-Tribune. “I appreciate the attention to detail and the pride he takes and how quickly he’s picking things up.”
Is D’Andre Swift’s Starting Job Safe?
Despite the fact that by essentially all advanced metrics, D’Andre Swift’s 2024 season was a huge letdown, there’s been no significant chatter that Swift could end up losing his starting job to Monangai, Roschon Johnson or anyone else in the Bears’ running back room.
However, Ben Johnson’s stint as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator does tell us that Chicago could divvy up the carries between Swift and whoever earns the RB2 spot during the preseason.
During each of Ben Johnson’s last two seasons as the offensive coordinator in Detroit, the Lions employed a two-headed attack on the ground, splitting carries between Jahmyr Gibbs (432 carries) and David Montgomery (404) almost evenly. As a result, the Lions were among the league’s best rushing offenses in each of those two seasons.
Assuming that Monangai impresses enough to cut into Swift’s carries that drastically is unrealistic, but in time, it does seem there’s an avenue for the rookie to earn meaningful playing time.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post How Kyle Monangai’s Path To Key Role With Bears Involves Caleb Williams appeared first on Heavy Sports.