The Green Bay Packers will face the Chicago Bears on Sunday without one of the runners who powered Chicago’s offense a week ago, via ESPN’s Bears reporter Courtney Cronin.
Bears running back Kyle Monangai is dealing with turf toe as well as a thumb injury and was ruled out on Friday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the uncertainty earlier Friday. “We’ll see if he can play on Sunday,” Rapoport said. He didn’t give a definitive recovery timeline.
Monangai missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Packers’ joint injury report.
Monangai’s Turf Toe Before Packers Game
The injury comes after Monangai carried a career-high 30 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago’s 23-12 win over the New York Jets. Through four games, he leads the Bears with 324 rushing yards and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
The thumb injury was the initial concern after last Sunday’s game. Bears coach Ben Johnson said Monday that he expected Monangai to be OK and described the thumb as a day-to-day issue. The toe injury subsequently appeared alongside the thumb on Chicago’s practice report, and Monangai has yet to practice this week.
Turf toe can mean a short absence or a much longer one, depending on the severity of the sprain and how a player responds when running and cutting. A review of turf toe injuries in athletes says players with a mild Grade 1 injury have traditionally returned in three to five days once they can move with minimal pain. That makes a return within a week possible in some cases.
The same review gives a typical absence of two to four weeks for a Grade 2 injury and at least four to six weeks for a Grade 3 injury.
Those are general ranges, not a forecast for Monangai.
Packers’ Run Defense Has Its Own Notable Absence
Monangai’s availability could alter the outlook for a Green Bay defense preparing to play without Edgerrin Cooper. The linebacker tore his Achilles against Tampa Bay last Sunday, leaving the Packers to redistribute his work ahead of a matchup with Chicago’s rushing attack.
Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper are among the options at linebacker, per the Packers’ team website.
Chicago’s backfield also includes D’Andre Swift, who ran for 58 yards against the Jets. Swift sat out Wednesday’s practice with hip and knee injuries before returning on a limited basis Thursday.
Monangai’s 30-carry performance showed how much work Chicago is willing to give him when its running game takes over.
Now that he can’t go, Swift and Chicago’s remaining backfield options will take on a heavier burden to get the job done.
Packers Get Turf Toe Update on Bears’ Leading Rusher Before Rivalry Game