D’Andre Swift returned to practice Thursday, but Kyle Monangai sat out again, leaving the Chicago Bears‘ backfield in question before Sunday’s game against the Bears’ traditional rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
With Swift limited and Monangai sidelined after 30 carries against the New York Jets, the league’s top-ranked rushing attack enters Friday’s designations with its lead role up in the air.
| CHICAGO BEARS INJURY REPORT — WEEK 5 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears at Packers • Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI • Thursday Practice Report | ||||||
| POS | Name | Injury | Wed | Thu | Fri | Game |
| LB | Keyshaun Elliott | Quadricep | LIMITED | DNP | — | — |
| RB | Kyle Monangai | Thumb / Toe | DNP | DNP | — | — |
| QB | Caleb Williams | Hamstring | DNP | DNP | — | — |
| OL | Jonah Jackson | Ankle | DNP | LIMITED | — | — |
| RB | D’Andre Swift | Hip / Knee | DNP | LIMITED | — | — |
| OL | Joe Thuney | Pectoral | DNP | LIMITED | — | — |
| OL | Darnell Wright | Ankle | DNP | LIMITED | — | — |
| DB | Kyler Gordon ^ | Calf | FULL | FULL | — | — |
| DL | Grady Jarrett | NIR (Rest) | DNP | FULL | — | — |
| DB | Cam Lewis | Hip | FULL | FULL | — | — |
| LB | Noah Sewell ^ | Achilles | LIMITED | FULL | — | — |
| DL | Shemar Turner ^ | Knee | LIMITED | FULL | — | — |
| ^ Reserve/PUP – 21-day practice window • DNP = did not participate • NIR = not injury related • Friday and game-status designations not yet reported | ||||||
D’Andre Swift’s Return Boosts Bears Backfield
Swift (hip/knee) upgraded from a Wednesday sit-out to limited work, according to Chicago Tribune reporter Brad Biggs. Limited work after a rest day usually points toward playing Sunday.
Swift lost a fumble against the Jets, and the Bears still ran 54 times for 232 yards and two scores after Monangai took over the featured role. Chicago now has a proven second option if its workhorse cannot go. The Bears signed Swift to a three-year extension worth nearly $34 million before the season, and the investment is paying off on the ground.
Monangai sat out Wednesday and Thursday alike, with the team listing his injury as thumb and toe, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. Only quarterback Caleb Williams, already ruled out, joined him on the sideline both days.
Head coach Ben Johnson waved off the thumb concern a day earlier. “Thumb’s not an issue, but he did have 30 carries and he feels like he had 30 carries,” Johnson said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated reporter Bill Huber.
Johnson framed Wednesday’s lighter practice as a response to the Jets workload, saying the staff wanted to be “smart about the number of reps that we got on Sunday,” Huber reported.
Soreness explains a Wednesday absence. A second DNP invites doubt, and a third straight miss Friday would shift the read on how serious this is.
Chicago Bears Linemen and Defenders Trend Upward
Guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and right tackle Darnell Wright all practiced on a limited basis after resting Wednesday, when the offense was still recovering from an 89-snap day against New York, according to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Patrick Finley.
Defense supplied the best news. Cornerback Kyler Gordon, linebacker Noah Sewell and defensive lineman Shemar Turner all practiced fully while working off the physically unable to perform list. Johnson will decide late in the week whether any joins the active roster, Finley reported. Gordon, the slot cornerback, has battled a calf injury since the spring. Rookie linebacker Keyshaun Elliott moved the other way, dropping from limited to a full sit-out with a quadriceps injury.
Swift and Monangai have each topped 300 rushing yards through four games, a total the entire Green Bay Packers roster has not matched, Huber noted. Chicago needs that production. Williams has sat out since the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, when he injured his hamstring late, according to Shaw Local reporter Michal Dwojak. Tyson Bagent starts again Sunday.
The Bears are 3-1 and chasing a third straight win over Green Bay, which stands at 2-2. A noon CDT kickoff arrives Sunday, and Friday’s report decides whether Chicago brings its full backfield.
Bears Announce Injury Updates on D’Andre Swift, 11 Others Before Packers Game