CHICAGO — In a short, 70-minute practice designed primarily for players who did not participate in the preseason opener, the Chicago Bears suffered a scare Sunday afternoon.
Running back Kyle Monangai got tangled up with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett near the sideline at the end of a run and went down in pain with what appeared to be a right knee injury.
It put a damper on a practice that began with positive injury developments as offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo was cleared to return from the physically unable to perform list. Defensive end Montez Sweat also returned to the field for the first time since leaving the Aug. 6 practice early.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that initial testing on Monangai’s knee did not reveal any structural damage. That would certainly be a relief for a team that has been primarily healthy on offense through training camp. There has been a cluster of injuries in the secondary.
Jarrett did not tackle Monangai, and it was a practice in shorts and shells the day after the preseason opener at Soldier Field. It appeared to be the kind of freak incident that can happen on a football field with players moving quickly.
Jarrett and left tackle Braxton Jones stood over Monangai as soon as it happened. Jarrett appeared upset that he had gotten in that awkward position. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson stood over Monangai, and head athletic trainer Andre Tucker was there almost immediately.
Tucker examined Monangai’s right knee for a few minutes and the second-year running back got up and slowly walked to the building.
“Can’t say enough good things about him,” left guard Joe Thuney said of Monangai. “Hopefully it’s nothing too crazy or significant, but football is football. It’s tough.”
The Bears will need to have imaging done and get the medical staff involved to determine the extent of the injury for Monangai, one of many frontline players who did not play in Saturday’s 34-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Monangai, a seventh-round draft pick out of Rutgers in 2025, rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season, pairing with D’Andre Swift to form the third-ranked rushing offense in the NFL. Monangai played in all 17 games and Swift only missed one game. Their durability meant the team’s third running back, Brittain Brown, had a total of five carries for the season.
Monangai had a season-high 176 yards in the 47-42 victory at Cincinnati in Week 9, and he and Swift combined to trample the Philadelphia Eagles four weeks later when the Bears ran for 281 yards in a 24-15 win at Lincoln Financial Field. He proved he could be an effective pass blocker at 5-foot-8, 207 pounds, and earned more playing time as the season went on.
“He was great,” Thuney said. “He came in. Worked really hard. Really detailed in the playbook. Runs so hard. Plays hard for his teammates. Great guy you want to block for.”
Players are scheduled to be off Monday before a practice Tuesday, a lighter practice on Wednesday and then a joint practice in Cincinnati on Thursday in advance of the preseason game there on Saturday.
A serious injury to Monangai would force the Bears to take a look at the depth chart. Right now, Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed are the leading candidates for the No. 3 running back position. Coach Ben Johnson is scheduled to meet the media on Tuesday. Perhaps he will have good news to deliver.
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