Kyle Monangai left Chicago Bears practice Sunday with an apparent right knee injury after getting tangled with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett during a non-padded drill, limping off the field with a trainer but declining a cart.
Jarrett appeared to realize mid-tackle that Monangai wasn't wearing pads and tried to hold him up, but both players went to the ground. Jarrett was visibly distressed. Guard Joe Thuney said afterward he hoped it was "nothing too crazy significant."
The initial news was encouraging. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that initial tests showed the knee was structurally sound and that Monangai is "believed to be fine" — though an MRI is scheduled to confirm. The Bears are not in full panic mode.
Monangai, a seventh-round rookie sensation in 2025, rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns while establishing himself as the primary backup to D'Andre Swift.
His signature game was a 176-yard rushing performance against Cincinnati in his only start. The Bears enter 2026 with genuine Super Bowl expectations under Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson, and Monangai is a crucial piece of the backfield behind Swift, whose own contract ends after this season.
This is his second injury concern of camp, he had missed time earlier before returning.