Chicago Bears fans are still frustrated over what conspired with running back Kyle Monangai.
During practice the day after the Bears' 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns in the preseason opener, Monangai and Grady Jarrett got tangled up and fell to the ground with Monangai holding his knee. He was able to walk off on his own power, but a new report now says he is expected to miss multiple weeks with a hyperextended knee injury.
Monangai could very well miss the start of the 2026 NFL season. Chicago now faces an interesting situation with its running backs and how to handle things if Monangai is out of commission for a bit.
Bears must now decide how to handle the running backs in the short-term with Kyle Monanagai out
D'Andre Swift will be the starter, which was always going to be the case anyway. This time, though, Swift may not split the carries like he would with Monangai. The most likely scenario is that if Monangai is out for a bit, Swift will get 20 to 25 carries a game until he returns.
That leaves the backup situation for the Bears. Undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett is no longer an option despite scoring a touchdown in his first and only preseason game with the Bears. The team just released Bennett.
Chicago has three options: Roschon Johnson, Salvon Ahmed, or Brittain Brown. While Brown is a promising running back who scored a touchdown in the regular season last year and got a receiving score in the preseason game against the Browns, it does feel like this might be more of a two-man race.
Johnson was the leading rusher for the Bears in the preseason game, going for 34 yards on eight carries, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. While he didn't make too many wow plays, he did get a 19-yard run and showed that he should be in the conversation to be the RB3 at the time, now the backup.
Ahmed lived up to the hype built around him in training camp. All those injury-filled seasons seem to be behind him, as he showed off the speed and playmaking ability on his 49-yard touchdown catch. He finished with 17 rushing yards on two carries and three receptions for 55 yards and a score.
The interesting part about choosing between Johnson and Ahmed is that the two have very different styles of play. Most Bears fans would jump right at saying Ahmed needs to be the backup, but that might not be the case. Monangai is a power back, so leaning more on Johnson would make more sense for what the Bears need.
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Regardless, Johnson and Ahmed might both have a place on the roster now that Monangai is hurt. It will make for an interesting final two weeks of training camp, as both guys are worthy of making the 53-man roster. Chicago has a good problem with depth at running back thanks to Johnson and Ahmed.
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