After 232 picks, 21 of which were at his position, the Chicago Bears took former Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ahead of his regular-season debut, Monangai is not shy about the chip he carries after being so overlooked.
That is not to say that Monangai is unappreciative of his current situation.
However, it does serve as a fitting reminder of the type of player the 5-foot-8, 205-pound rookie is proving to be with his debut set for “Monday Night Football” against the Minnesota Vikings.
Bears RB Kyle Monangai Gives Telling Example in Honest Admission
Kyle Monangai Ready to Take Advantage of ‘Best Situation’
Monangai will still play behind at least starter D’Andre Swift, but the Bears’ rookie could get opportunities to show the rest of the league what they missed out on early and often on Monday.
Asked if he openly carries that chip with him, Monangai said, “For sure.”
“233rd pick. I got passed on 232 times,” Monangai told Clocker Sports, citing a fact that includes the Bears. “But I say everything happens for a reason, and I thank God that I ended up in Chicago. I think this is the best situation that I could have ended up in.”
The Bears have late-training-camp addition Brittain Brown to fill some of Roschon Johnson’s role, but that was already going to Monangai before both players got hurt.
For Monangai, sitting out was difficult.
“I hate being out, and I hate missing practice,” Monangai told Clocker Sports. “I hate missing anything that’s team-oriented, and being sidelined sucks. Anybody that loves the game, is a competitor, it’s not fun, and I was itching to get back. So I’m happy to be back on the field.”
Monangai and the Bears’ other RBs face a stiff test in a Vikings defense that ranked No. 2 against the run during the 2024 regular season.
A good showing on Monday could earn Monangai even more opportunities going forward.
Kyle Monangai Set Fitting Early Goal
Monangai turned heads during the Bears’ offseason program with his no-nonsense running style, which was as advertised coming out of the draft. He continued to build momentum when the veterans joined the fray and the Bears entrusted him with RB2 reps.
Bears quarterbacks are also not shy about finding Monangai out of the backfield, providing a glimpse of a potentially underrated aspect of his game.
Monangai has been able to do all of this, though, because he earned the Bears’ trust.
“That was a goal of mine coming into this thing, going into OTAs knowing that I’m coming to a team that has [a veteran group]. That I gotta earn my way, basically, through all the reps I get, and every opportunity is my most important one,” Monangai told Clocker Sports.
“It means a lot. It means that I’m on the right track, at least. That opportunities keep coming, that’s a sign. But all that means I gotta continue to be consistent.”
Monangai rushed for 30 yards on six carries during the Bears’ preseason slate.
However, that all came in one game, the opener against the Miami Dolphins, with Monangai sidelined since. He heads into Week 1 of the regular season with a seemingly clear path to a significant role. Johnson remained absent from practice on Friday and has missed considerable time.