Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai left Sunday’s win over the New York Jets with a thumb injury of unknown severity. Monangai had just carried 30 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns, so the Bears now wait to learn whether the injury will cost him games.
Monangai spoke briefly after the game. He did not address the thumb in any quote that has surfaced.
Monangai did not start at Soldier Field. He finished as the lead back anyway, taking over after D’Andre Swift lost a fumble in the third quarter, according to Pro Football Talk.
His two scores came on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal late in the first quarter and a 5-yard run that put Chicago ahead 20-6, according to Reuters game coverage.
The injury surfaced afterward. Coach Ben Johnson said Monangai has a thumb injury and is being evaluated, according to The Athletic‘s Kevin Fishbain and the Chicago Tribune‘s Sean Hammond. The Bears have not said which thumb.
A thumb sprain can mean a short absence, with a club or tape. A fracture or ligament damage can mean multiple weeks.
Kyle Monangai’s Path to the Chicago Bears
Monangai was born June 6, 2002, in Roseland, New Jersey, to Cameroonian immigrants William and Gwendolyn Monangai, according to Sportskeeda. He played at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey before committing to Rutgers.
At Rutgers he ran for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns from 2020 to 2024. He became the first Scarlet Knights back to top 1,000 yards since Jawan Jamison in 2012, with 1,262 in 2023, then followed with 1,279 and a first-team All-Big Ten nod in 2024, according to RotoWire.
Chicago drafted him 233rd overall in the seventh round in 2025 and signed him to a four-year, $4.33 million contract, according to RotoWire.
As a rookie he rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries. In Week 13, he and Swift each topped 100 yards against the Eagles, the first Bears duo to do it since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey in 1985, according to ESPN‘s player statistics page.
This season, Monangai entered Week 4 as the clear No. 2 behind Swift with 30 carries for 178 yards and one touchdown, including a 61-yard run in the Week 1 win over Carolina. He hyperextended his right knee in practice on Aug. 16, according to The Associated Press report.
Chicago Bears Backfield Without Kyle Monangai
Chicago’s depth chart lists Swift as the starter, Monangai as the No. 2 and 2023 fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson next, according to Ourlads‘ Chicago Bears depth chart. Brittain Brown is on injured reserve.
Swift fumbled Sunday and has appeared on the injury report with ankle and knee issues this season. Roschon Johnson is a power back who has not held a featured role in this offense.
Monangai’s absence would send more volume to Swift, put Johnson into real snaps and remove the short-yardage option behind both of Sunday’s touchdowns. The next game is at Green Bay, where Tyson Bagent is expected to start again with Caleb Williams still out, Pro Football Talk reported.
Nothing is official yet. The next update should come from Johnson or the injury report early in Green Bay week.
What Happened to Kyle Monangai? Bears RB Exits Late in Win Over Jets