Bears' Kyle Monangai Could Go From Secret Weapon to Household Name in 2026

Kyle Monangai quietly became one of the Bears' most effective weapons in 2025, and his second season could turn him into a true breakout force for Chicago.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) and running back Kyle Monangai (25). | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears quietly had one of the best running back duos in the NFL in 2025.

With so much attention rightly on Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson last season, the Bears' dynamic duo at running back, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, mostly flew under the radar, especially at the national level.

And that was despite the fact that both players had over 900 scrimmage yards and propelled the Bears to the third-best rushing attack in the league.

Looking ahead to 2026, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski thinks Monangai specifically is the team's best-kept secret.

"Monangai ranked third among all rookies last season with 783 rushing yards," he said. "The seventh-rounder's 4.6 yards per carry ranked second among all first-year backs with at least 150 carries. He's a natural runner, particularly between the tackles. The Rutgers product has some wiggle and brings a lot of physicality."

We would definitely agree with Sobleski's label.

There just isn't enough attention on how good Monangai is, but if he continues to progress off his outstanding rookie season, the Bears running back might be a household name by the end of 2026.

Kyle Monangai's impressive 2025 season

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Swift was no doubt good, also, Monangai's campaign was easily more impressive.

Nobody had the seventh-rounder on their radar entering the year, yet Monangai went on to far exceed expectations and actually ended up taking some work away from the veteran.

Monangai ran his way to 783 rushing yards, 164 receiving yards and five touchdowns, which is made more impressive by the fact that he didn't really get going until Week 7.

It wasn't just about the numbers with Monangai, though.

Monangai no doubt passed the eye test, too, with his strong running, burst, vision and dual-threat ability. Monangai was the definition of a perfect complement to the more explosive Swift.

Kyle Monangai's 2026 outlook

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

With Swift heading into the final year of his deal, the Bears could give Monangai an extra push in 2026 to see if he can be the lead back of the future in Chicago.

We've already seen that Monangai has the goods to be an every-down back with his rushing, pass-catching and pass-blocking abilities. Now, it's just about taking a step forward in his development and Monangai cementing himself.

And, after seeing what he produced with 187 touches last season (Swift had 257), Monangai has the potential to post massive numbers that will leave him flying under the radar no more.