Dynasty Football: Kyle Monangai
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai established himself as the clear second option in one of the NFL’s most productive backfields in 2025, and he enters 2026 in that role behind D’Andre Swift.
Monangai’s workload was limited early in the season. It grew as the year went on. He finished with 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries, adding 164 receiving yards on 18 catches across 17 games, with one start. His 947 yards from scrimmage ranked second on the team, behind Swift.
His two biggest performances came when his carry count climbed. In a Week 9 win at Cincinnati, with Swift sidelined, Monangai ran 26 times for 176 yards in a 47-42 result. The Bengals allowed a league-worst 2,500 rushing yards on the season. Four weeks later, in a Week 13 win at Philadelphia, he carried 22 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. Across those two outings, he averaged 153 rushing yards.
The Cincinnati game was a jump in volume he had not seen for some time. “I think my body was just in shock of the whole thing,” Monangai said afterward, via ESPN.
Swift remained the lead back throughout the season. He ran for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns on 223 carries and added 299 receiving yards and one score on 34 catches. The two were the only running back tandem in the league to each rush for at least 750 yards. Chicago finished with the third-best rushing offense in the NFL.
The ground game carried the Bears in their bigger wins. “Can’t say enough about that running game,” head coach Ben Johnson said after the Philadelphia win, where both backs cleared 100 yards in the same game.
The backfield order is set heading into 2026. Chicago made no additions at the position in free agency or the draft, a sign of comfort with the group it has. Swift enters the season as the lead back and is in the final year of his contract. Monangai projects as the No. 2, with a role that can widen if Swift misses time, as he did in Cincinnati. Chicago selected Monangai in the seventh round of the 2025 draft, the 233rd overall pick.
His value is tied to volume. When the carriers have been there, he has produced. When Swift is healthy and active, the work is divided, which holds down how much Monangai can do in a given week. The late-season snap counts reflected that split, with neither back taking command of the workload in most games.
What that means for 2026 will depend on the division of labor and on Swift’s health. The framework is clear. Swift leads, Monangai backs him up, and the gap between them narrows when the touches open up.