Kyle Monangai's Usage a Concern Despite Positive Injury Update

The Chicago Bears dodged another potential significant injury on offense this week. Following their dominant Week 4 victory over the New York Jets, head coach Ben Johnson told the media that running back Kyle Monangai had been pulled from the game with a couple of minutes left due to a thumb injury. On Monday, Johnson gave a hopeful injury update for Monangai, and on Wednesday he confirmed that there's no longer any concern about his thumb.

However, there is a different concern related to Monangai now ahead of the Bears' Week 5 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, and that has to do with his workload. According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Johnson told the media after practice that Monangai is still feeling the effects of his heavy usage on Sunday, saying, "He had 30 carries and he feels like he had 30 carries."

Monangai's 30 carries on Sunday matched his season total through the first three weeks of the season, and it set a new career high for the second year running back. Additionally, according to a tweet by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears may have trouble working Monangai into practice this week as he recovers from his unexpectedly busy day at the office.

The Bears will need all hands on deck to beat the Packers

Chicago Bears RB Kyle Monangai reacts after a play against the New York Jets. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While it comes as a relief that Sunday's initial injury scare proved unfounded, the Bears must still proceed with caution when it comes to Monangai. The only other running back on the depth chart is Roschon Johnson, and he's carried the ball just six times since Ben Johnson took the helm in Chicago. The last thing they need is to lose one of their most reliable offensive playmakers in a divisional matchup.

The Bears are already short-handed heading into this game, with Ben Johnson confirming that Tyson Bagent will start in Week 5 as Caleb Williams continues to rehab his Grade 2 hamstring injury. Bagent is a competent starter as we saw last week, but he would really benefit from another strong performance by his running backs, and Monangai will be a large factor in that.

Indeed, Monangai has been so good to start his second NFL season that the Bears may have an RB1 controversy brewing. D'Andre Swift remains the top running back on the depth chart and he's not going anywhere after signing a three-year contract extension in August. However, he's cooled off quite a bit since his explosive performance in the season opener. Swift has accumulated just 187 yards on 51 rushing attempts and has lost two brutal fumbles in three games since then.

The Bear's running game must get back to being a two-headed monster

There are a few elite running backs who can carry the entire ground game on their shoulders, but neither Monangai nor Swift is one of those few. The fact is that the Bears' ground game operates at its best when both of them are sharing a relatively equal workload. Ben Johnson confirmed that Swift was benched in Week 4 following his unforced third quarter fumble, and that was the right call, but he needs to work Swift back into the gameplan for Week 5.

Plus, Monangai could clearly use the break. He's never carried the rock 30 times in a game before, and it's costing him precious reps in practice this week. That should mean that Swift will be more prepared to lead the ground game against a struggling yet dangerous Packers team. This is not an opponent the Bears can afford to look past, and it will take a full team effort to leave Lambeau Field with a win.

Specifically, the offense will need to run at maximum efficiency, and that means returning to form as a two-headed monster instead of one workhorse running back. If both Swift and Monangai are ready for Sunday and play to their strengths, the Packers' defense will struggle to keep up.

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