Bears running backs coach Eric Bienemy provides uncanny comparison for Kyle Monangai

Eric Bienemy knows a thing or two about evaluating running backs. He recently compared Chicago's seventh-round pick to someone he had a chance to coach in Kansas City.

Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) runs with the ball in the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Naturally, Kyle Monangai has often been compared to Chiefs' running back Isaih Pacheco since they both played college football at Rutgers (which isn't exactly a football powerhouse). However, Bears running backs coach Eric Bienemy compared him to a different Kansas City running back when speaking with Marquee Sports Network's Nicholas Moreano.

"Reminds me of Kareem Hunt, and watching him and studying him on tape, going back to my days of reviewing tape on Kareem, those two are very, very similar," Bienemy said. "That’s the person that I see. Now, he has a lot to live up to because Kareem has had an outstanding career, but the kid takes a tremendous amount of pride in the little things, so that’s important. Now we just got to continue to grow."

Pretty high praise from Bienemy, who coached Hunt for the first two years of his career in Kansas City. It's not hard to see where he's coming from. In fact, that's genuinely an A+ comparison.

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— Jerry Markarian (@JerryMarkarian) November 8, 2025

From a pure athleticism perspective, neither Monangai nor Hunt are known for their speed. In fact, their numbers in the speed drills at the Combine were never greater than .03 seconds apart (and far from elite at the position). They're virtually identical athletes in that regard. Long speed is one of the most overrated traits for a running back. Vision, quickness, and contact balance are all significantly more important. Those are (and always have been, in Hunt's case) some of their biggest strengths.

Hunt is taller, which was the biggest factor in the discrepancy in their respective Relative Athletic Scores (RAS), and had a bit better numbers in the jumping drills. However, Monangai had a significantly better time in the short shuttle agility drill. Overall, their athletic numbers were similar across the board.

More importantly (because football is played on the field), they also possess a powerful running style that makes them a terror for opposing defenses on every play. They don't go down easily and make opposing defenses feel them even after the play is over.

Hunt has over 7000 total yards and 70 touchdowns in his career. Monangai obviously has a long way to go before he reaches those milestones. He's definitely off to a good start, though.

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