Kyle Monangai

Kyle Monangai (/ˌməˈnʌŋˌgaɪ/ born June 6, 2002) is an American professional football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the Bears in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life Born and raised in Roseland, New Jersey to Cameroonian parents, Monangai attended Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange for his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey. As a senior, he had over 900 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns, and 400 receiving yards with five touchdowns. He committed to Rutgers University to play college football.

College career Monangai played in five games his first year with the Scarlet Knights in 2020 and did not have a carry. He played in 11 games in 2021 and had 236 yards on 62 carries with four touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2022, he started 11 of 12 games and recorded 445 yards on 109 carries with two touchdowns. Monangai returned as a starter in 2023. He became the first Rutgers running back since Jawan Jamison in 2012 to rush for 1,000 yards, finishing the season with 1,262 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns en route to second-team All Big-Ten honors.

Statistics

Professional career

Monangai was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 233rd overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft.

He began his rookie season as the backup halfback behind D'Andre Swift, seeing limited action on situational offensive plays. In Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints, he scored his first touchdown on a one-yard run. When Swift missed Week 9 due to injury, Monangai became the starter and recorded 26 carries for 176 yards along with three catches for 22 yards as the Bears beat the Cincinnati Bengals; his rushing yards were the second most in a game by a Bears rookie behind Anthony Thomas in 2001, while the 198 total yards were the fifth highest for a rookie in team history. Monangai and Swift began to split carries following the latter's recovery. In a Week 13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the duo combined for 255 rushing yards as Monangai had 130 yards and a touchdown. They became the first running back teammates to each record at least 100 rushing yards in a game since Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard for the Dallas Cowboys in 2019, and the first Bears duo since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey in 1985.