Kyle Monangai is walking into his second season with a very different feel around him.
A year ago, the Chicago Bears rookie was a seventh-round pick fighting to carve out a place. Now, the 24-year-old is back as the clear No. 2 running back behind D’Andre Swift, and that changes everything about how he approaches training camp.
For Monangai, the biggest shift is mental. He no longer has to spend as much energy wondering what comes next or trying to sort through all the moving parts that come with being a rookie trying to survive.
"Just, building, like, there's not the 'head on a swivel,' not knowing what to expect now. And then now with that ease of mind, I can kind of just go play, focus on what really matters. Not like the extra stuff, and just focus on the day-to-day process."
That comfort matters because the Bears still offer him a degree of continuity. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is gone, having taken the same job with the Baltimore Ravens, but the offense still runs through head coach Ben Johnson. That stability should make it easier for Monangai to settle in and stack productive reps.
Last season, he was juggling everything at once: competing for a roster spot, learning a new system, working under new coaches and absorbing a completely new playbook. With those hurdles behind him, the path is simpler now. He can devote more of his attention to actually improving as a runner.
The Bears already know what they have in him, and Monangai is no longer in the business of proving he belongs. His next step is about growth, not survival. If he stays out of that “head on a swivel” mode, the setup is there for him to keep moving forward in 2026.
In Other News...
Bears Suddenly Face A Luther Burden Concern They Can't Ignore
Luther Burdens training camp work came to an abrupt stop after he left Bears practice early Sunday, landing awkwardly in a drill and showing discomfort in his left leg. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, but the scene was enough to raise eyebrows around a roster that has been waiting to see how quickly the rookie can settle in and handle the physical side of camp.
No formal diagnosis has been released, and the Bears had not issued an update as of Sunday morning. Physical therapist Jeff Mueller reviewed video of the play and offered a cautiously upbeat read on Burdens knee, even as the footage left open a few different possibilities, which is exactly the kind of uncertainty Chicago cant afford to let linger for long in camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Are Betting Caleb Williams' Growth On One Key Decision
The Bears spent part of their offseason making a familiar kind of bet: keeping continuity around Caleb Williams while changing the job description for one of the men already in the building. Press Taylor is moving up from passing game coordinator to help steer the offense, a promotion that comes after Declan Doyle left for the Ravens and leaves Chicago leaning into a coach it already knows well. Taylor has long been tied to quarterback development, with stops alongside Doug Pederson in Philadelphia and Jacksonville giving him a resume the Bears clearly value.
For Williams, the move adds another layer to a pivotal stretch of his early career. Taylor has had a hand in the development of Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence and Williams himself, and Chicago is banking on that background to help its young quarterback take another step. The new arrangement suggests the Bears believe familiarity and coaching continuity can matter as much as any outside addition, even if the real payoff will only be known once the offense starts putting it to the test. [Read more 🡒]
Rome Odunze Is Giving Bears Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Rome Odunze is back on the field at Bears training camp, and for Chicago that alone is enough to reset some of the conversation around its passing game. After a foot injury cut short his 2025 season, the receiver has reportedly looked sharp early in 2026, and the Bears helped fuel the optimism by sharing a camp highlight on social media that suggested he is moving well and looking like himself again.
For a team trying to build a more dangerous receiving group, Odunze matters because his ceiling changes what the offense can ask of Caleb Williams and the rest of the passing attack. The expectation in Chicago is that he and Luther Burden III can form a real one-two punch, and if Odunze keeps stacking practices like this, the Bears will have a lot more reason to believe their receiver room is finally headed in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]