The Chicago Bears had one of the most integral rookie classes last season. The team consistently relied on several of their young playmakers as key contributors in their division title run. Now heading into their sophomore seasons, the bulk of them are expected to take big leaps. While Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland have received the lion’s share of hype, running back Kyle Monangai just received a healthy dose from Sports Illustrated.
Bears RB Kyle Monangai Expected to Supplant D’Andre Swift
GettyChicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai rushed for 783 yards, recorded 164 receiving yards and scored five total touchdowns in 2025.
SI’s Jerry Markarian boldly predicted that Monagai would not only surpass the 1,000-yard rushing milestone for the first time in his career, but would also supplant D’Andre Swift by the season’s end.
“Kyle Monangai is coming off one of the most impressive rookie campaigns among anyone in the 2025 NFL Draft class,” Markarian wrote.
“The 233rd selection in last year’s class was far from a lock to even make the roster. Well, he not only made the roster, but also finished fifth in rushing (783 yards) among rookie runners despite being the 22nd back off the board.”
Markarian goes on to explain how Monangai, receiving a “bigger piece of the pie” in the backfield, will transform him from a complementary side into the main dish.
“With Swift entering a contract year at the age of 27, I think the Bears are going to want to see if Monangai can sustain his level of play with more opportunities out of the backfield. They’ll want to see if he can be the 1A to whoever they find to replace Swift. Both backs should be productive as long as the offensive line stays intact, but Monangai should be the one over the century mark when all is said and done.”
Bears O-Line Needs To Capture Brilliance Of 2025 For Team To Succeed in 2026
GettyChicago Bears left tackle Braxton Jones appeared in six games in 2025 after struggling with consistency, likely due to injuries.
Markarian prefaces the offensive line’s health when discussing the success of the run game. Everyone knows that Ben Johnson loves to run the football, and the state of the Bears’ O-Line remains one of their biggest questions heading into 2026.
“That offensive line has to reestablish the chemistry of brilliance we saw last season,” NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales stated on Good Morning Football.
“Pro Football Focus had them as the fifth-graded, best-graded offensive line in the NFL. And certainly that attributed to them being the third-best rushing offense, averaging…145 [rushing yards] per game…But what’s unique is that they have two changes to that offensive line. They’re going to probably go ahead and start Braxton Jones [at left tackle]; he’s been getting the lion’s share of first-team reps throughout the course of Minicamp…And then Drew Dalman retiring at center. You bring in Garrett Bradbury, you bring in Logan Jones, one of their top picks, the rookie out of Iowa in this draft. And Dan Roushar is one of the best in the NFL with those men in the trenches. And you expect them to get back to that brilliance.”
While most questions have centered on the state of the Bears’ defense, the truth is that the trenches on both sides of the ball will ultimately determine the outcome of the Bears’ season.
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