Bears Monangai ‘week to week’ with knee injury, according to Johnson
Bears running back Kyle Monangai will be “week to week” after injuring his right knee in practice Sunday, coach Ben Johnson said before practice Tuesday morning in Lake Forest.
Monangai and many of the starters who didn’t play in Saturday’s preseason game participated in a one-hour practice Sunday. Players were not wearing full pads.
Monangai and veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett got tangled up during a team session. Jarrett appeared to try to pull up before tackling Monangai, but by that point his momentum had taken him too far and both players wound up on the ground.
The second-year running back was in obvious pain, and trainers examined his right knee for some time. Monangai eventually walked off under his own power.
Johnson has maintained, and reiterated Tuesday, that injuries are something “you can’t control sometimes” during training camp. He said he would continue to evaluate the physicality in practice.
“We turn the dial every single day, we look at what we’re doing, how we’re doing it — and we always adjust,” Johnson said. “We’re going to continue to do that. We have a method to what we’re doing. Our guys believe in it, we believe in it, and I feel really good at the path that we’re on.”
The Bears can count themselves fortunate Monangai’s injury wasn’t worse. ESPN reported it is a hyperextended knee. Johnson did not elaborate on the injury, other than to say Monangai is “week to week.” All things considered, it appears the Bears dodged a bullet.
Johnson said there was no need to have a conversation with Jarrett after the incident. The 12th-year veteran was a team captain last year.
“He’s a pro,” Johnson said. “We’re all good.”
The Bears selected Monangai in the seventh round a year ago with the 233rd pick. He turned out to be one of the most productive rookie running backs in the NFL, finishing with 783 yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries and catching 18 passes for 164 yards. His rushing total ranked fifth among rookie running backs after he was the 22nd running back drafted.
Starter D’Andre Swift and Monangai emerged as a solid one-two punch in the league’s third-best running game. The Bears left the running back room largely the same heading into 2026 with Swift, Monangai and reserve Roschon Johnson.