The Chicago Bears may have just hinted that running back Kyle Monangai won’t play against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 8 amid their latest roster moves.
According to the team’s official transaction wire, the Bears signed running back Zavier Scott from their practice squad to their 53-man roster on Tuesday, October 27, cutting loose veteran cornerback Nick McCloud in a corresponding roster move to clear space.
Scott has played in each of the Bears’ last three games as a practice-squad elevation, chipping in exclusively on special teams but also providing running back depth while Monangai has been on the mend. Scott has five total tackles on 46 special teams snaps.
The Bears, however, expended Scott’s final elevation opportunity when they promoted him to the game-day roster for Thursday Night Football against the New England Patriots in Week 8, meaning they had to sign him up to play him again in 2026.
What stands out most about Scott’s signing, though, is the timing. Scott is out of elevations, but the Bears had hoped that Monangai — who is dealing with a thumb injury and a turf toe issue — would be ready to return after their 10-day break between games.
Instead, Scott’s promotion suggests that the Bears are not expecting to have Monangai available for Week 8 — or at least are bracing for the possibility that he won’t play.
Bears News: Kyle Monangai Misses 1st Practice in Week 8
Scott’s promotion to the active roster wasn’t the only bad omen for Monangai’s chances of playing against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
According to The Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond, Monangai was not present during the Bears’ open portion of Tuesday’s practice at Halas Hall, casting doubt on his status.
Because of the long week, the Bears will not release their first injury report for Week 8’s matchup with the Seahawks until Thursday, October 29, but Monangai’s status will draw plenty of intrigue when they do after he missed his third straight game in Week 7.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had originally reported that Monangai would expectedly miss between one and two weeks after he sustained his turf toe injury in Week 4’s win over the Jets. The Bears also seemed to suggest a short-term injury timeline when they did not place him on injured reserve, which would have mandated a four-game absence.
Instead, Monangai is now in line to potentially miss his fourth consecutive game.
Bears’ Run Game Remains No. 1 Without Kyle Monangai
The Bears will naturally want Monangai back in the lineup as soon as possible given his role as a hard-charging complement to veteran starter D’Andre Swift in their backfield.
Considering how the Bears have run the ball without Monangai available, though, they should feel no additional pressure to hurry him back onto the field while he works through his injuries.
The Bears are still the league’s No. 1 rushing offense after Week 7’s games and average a whopping 154.3 rushing yards per game despite their three games without Monangai.
While Chicago netted fewer than 100 rushing yards in two of those three contests, the team also punched in five rushing touchdowns in that span, getting at least one score per game from Swift — who has lived up to the $33.75 million extension he signed in September.
Even still, Monangai’s return will be a welcome one when he is ready.
Roschon Johnson has picked up the slack while Monangai has been sidelined, but he hasn’t exactly threatened Monangai’s job with his performances. He had a nice game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7, rushing 13 times for 51 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 34 yards, but he also lost an almost-costly fumble.
The Bears will next play against the Seahawks at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday, November 2.
Bears Hint at Bad Kyle Monangai News With Week 8 Roster Moves