The Chicago Bears started off this week of training camp with a piece of good news involving second-year running back Kyle Monangai, though a potentially catastrophic event soon followed.
On Monday morning, Chicago offered optimism regarding the short-term return of Monangai, a seventh-round steal in 2025 and a crucial cog in Ben Johnson’s revamped run game last season.
“Ben Johnson calls #Bears RB Kyle Monangai ‘day by day’ with a soft tissue injury,” Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported via X on August 23. “Does not sound like it will be long-term. Monangai has been sidelined since 1st day of practice.”
It wasn’t long, however, before newly-acquired safety Coby Bryant went down with a knee injury in practice, after which team doctors had to cart him off the field.
Coby Bryant’s Reaction Immediately Following Knee Injury Cause for Concern
GettyChicago Bears safety Coby Bryant.
Initial reports indicated that Bryant suffered a left knee injury while working in coverage on tight end Cole Kmet.
Adam Hoge CHGO Bears reported as much via social media following the incident, but added an unfortunate, and potentially ominous, detail that reads like a considerable concern for Chicago’s defense moving forward.
“Not good. Coby Bryant just went down grabbing his left knee during a 1-on-1 rep vs Cole Kmet. He was clearly emotional as he got on a cart under his own power,” Hoge wrote. “I’ll caution you that they are on the far fields so a cart is not unusual, but the fact that he was so emotional is concerning.”
Bears signed Bryant to a three-year contract worth $40 million this offseason, making him the most expensive free-agent addition to the roster by a considerable margin. The four-year NFL veteran won a Super Bowl ring as a starter on the stout Seattle Seahawks‘ defense last season.
Bears Will Need Kyle Monangai, D’Andre Swift Duo to Dominate Again in 2026
GettyChicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai.
Bryant’s injury, if it proves serious, will be a major blow to Chicago’s overall defensive strategy for the upcoming campaign.
The Bears focused heavily on the secondary, not only by adding Bryant in free agency but by using a first-round pick on safety Dillon Thieneman and a fourth-rounder on cornerback Malik Muahmmad. Thieneman was very likely to start even before Bryant’s knee injury, and is now all but a lock to do so, while Muhammad should challenge Tyrique Stevenson for the CB2 position.
Meanwhile, Monangai’s likely return is good news for an offense that relied heavily on the run game last season. Chicago finished the campaign with the third-ranked run attack, which aided meaningfully the unit’s position as the sixth-ranked offense overall.
Monangai ended the year with 783 rushing yards and five scores on 169 attempts (4.6 yards per carry). He also caught 18 passes for 164 yards.
The Bears are running it back with the duo of Monangai and starter D’Andre Swift, who is entering a contract year in 2026 and will be a free agent next March if he doesn’t sign an extension in Chicago before then.
Bears Share Monangai Injury Update Amid Potentially Devastating News to Defense