The Chicago Bears' 2025 draft class came to the rescue on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tight end Colston Loveland, their prized 1st round pick, was the hero of the day. His 118 yards and two touchdowns, capped by that unforgettable 58-yard score in the final seconds, will be replayed for years to come. However, this win wouldn't have happened without Kyle Monangai. The 7th round pick was an afterthought to many when he arrived. That isn't the case anymore after he steamrolled the Bengals for 175 yards on the ground.
It was one of the best rookie performances in Bears history, second-most only behind Anthony Thomas' 188 yards in 2001. What many didn't realize is it was also an extra twist of the knife for Bengals fans. Many forget that Chicago traded Khalil Herbert last year at the deadline to Cincinnati in exchange for a 7th round pick in 2025. That pick was spent on Monangai. Herbert had 114 yards in his entire tenure with the Bengals. Monangai eclipsed that in a single game.
Big ouch.
Kyle Monangai proves again that traits are overrated.
Sometimes, a person who looks like a good football player is a good football player. For two years at Rutgers, Kyle Monangai was an absolute workhorse, eclipsing 1200 yards. Doing that in the Big Ten is no small feat. Yet teams couldn't look past his average physical ability, such as size and speed. They overlooked his power, contact balance, and vision. The Bears did not. They felt he had a great deal more to offer than people were willing to admit. This game was confirmation of that.
Monangai proved he will be a valuable piece in the Bears' backfield for a long time to come. There is no glaring weakness in his game. He's unselfish, plays hard, and does everything asked of him. The fact that Chicago got him indirectly from the Bengals and then used him to gash them is just icing on the cake.
