The Chicago Bears have plenty to sort out on their roster going into the 2025 season. One of the most important are the running backs. Head coach Ben Johnson builds his offense through the ground game. His system is at its most lethal when it can use play action. It was a big reason many thought the Bears would spend a high draft choice on a running back. It didn't pan out that way. Ultimately, they settled for Kyle Monangai in the 7th round. Not exactly the household name fans hoped for.
That doesn't mean the Bears did poorly. Monangai had plenty of fans inside college circles and the draft community. He was highly productive at Rutgers, cracking 1200 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons. Though not a premier athlete, he had the strength, toughness, and vision to become a legitimate workhorse for an otherwise mediocre team. Even so, many don't think he'll be a focal point of the Bears' offense alongside D'Andre Swift. Patrick Norton of CHGO isn't so certain.
He believes Monangai has a significant advantage people aren't talking about.
Impressively, Monangai didn’t put the ball on the ground a single time in 669 rushing attempts throughout his college career. Zero fumbles in four full seasons is hardly a common feat for any skill player, especially an every-down back, and it’s an accomplishment the running back took great pride in achieving.
“It’s something that you focus on,” Monangai said. “Grip strength is one of those things that I do, day in and day out. Hand strength, focusing on taking care of the football. When in traffic, putting two hands on the football, things like that. Zero fumbles in college is not something that just happened by chance; it’s something I definitely focused on and worked on.”
Kyle Monangai can bring something coaches want.
We always discuss talent as the critical thing coaching staff prioritize on their roster. Part of that is true. However, what they often prefer are players they can trust. They want guys who don't get hurt a lot and don't make unnecessary mistakes. For offensive guys, fumbling the football is a gigantic one. Don't forget that Johnson urged the Detroit Lions to sign David Montgomery a few years ago. One of the primary motivations for that was the running back's ability to avoid fumbles. Across 915 carries in Chicago, he only coughed up the ball six times. Jamaal Williams, whom he replaced, fumbled three times in 2022 alone.
Swift is the projected starter for Chicago, with Roschon Johnson penciled in as his primary backup. Still, Kyle Monangai has enough talent and elite reliability to put him squarely in the mix.
