Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson leaned heavily on second-year running back Kyle Monangai during the team’s Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets, which might have taken a more significant toll than the team initially thought.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN shared an update on Monangai’s previously reported toe injury that puts his status in question for both this weekend’s game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and the Bears’ Week 6 trip to Atlanta to take on the surging Falcons.
“Bears RB Kyle Monangai is dealing with a turf toe injury, placing uncertainty around his availability over the next 1-2 weeks, per sources, though he’s hoping to play through it and the team/player are still managing the situation,” Fowler wrote. “Monangai ranks seventh with 324 rushing yards.”
Ben Johnson Mentioned Kyle Mongangai’s Workload, Minimal Thumb Injury but Didn’t Talk About Toe Earlier in Week
Monangai sat out of practice on Wednesday, as did D’Andre Swift, Monangai’s counterpart in the offensive backfield.
Johnson spoke about Monangai’s absence on Wednesday, putting it more on the career-high workload he assumed after taking over for Swift as the primary rusher in the second half following a costly Swift fumble.
Johnson also mentioned Monangai’s thumb injury, brushing that off to a significant degree, while essentially avoiding the topic of his toe.
“Ben Johnson said Kyle Monangai’s thumb is ‘not an issue,’ but that his body is feeling the effects of his workload against the Jets,” Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported via X.
“He had 30 carries, and he feels like he had 30 carries,” Johnson said.
The coach’s take on Monangai’s health was not necessarily disingenuous or dishonest in any way. Perhaps Johnson was downplaying the situation for one reason or another. Perhaps he simply did not realize the potential extent of Monangai’s toe issue at that point in time.
But regardless, the news on Monangai from Fowler Thursday came a little bit out of nowhere based on how Chicago handled the communication around the running back’s absence from practice the day prior.
Bears Will Not Have Caleb Williams Against Packers in Week 5
Monangai sat out of the team’s practice session on Thursday as well, which is not a good sign, though it also says nothing definitive about his status with upwards of three full days before the Bears take the field against the Packers at Lambeau on Sunday afternoon.
Swift, meanwhile, was a limited participant Thursday with hip and knee issues, according to the team’s official injury report.
Chicago is entering a critical four-game stretch that begins at Green Bay in Week 5 before a trip to Atlanta, a short turnaround for a Thursday Night Football showcase against the defending AFC champion New England Patriots and then a third road game in four weeks against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Quarterback Caleb Williams is not practicing this week, and a recent report from Dan Widerer of The Athletic indicated that Williams’ hamstring strain could keep him sidelined in Weeks 6 and 7, after which the Bears might utilize their 10-day break to re-introduce the QB into the starting lineup.
The Packers are pretty banged up heading into Week 5 as well, but it is a big deal if Chicago heads to Lambeau absent both its top QB and a running back in Monangai who is among the most efficient producers in the league to date at 5.4 yards per rushing attempt.
Bears Get Troubling Kyle Monangai Update Contradicting Ben Johnson Report