As someone who enjoyed watching Kyle Monangai run the football this season, it pleases me to have the opportunity to write this post.
I’ve spent a chunk of time this week searching for silver linings after the Bears’ playoff loss to the Rams on Sunday. And while I’m vibing with Ben Johnson’s stance on not believing in moral victories, that doesn’t mean I will stop trying to find good things to discuss in the wake of a tough loss. One of those good things was the performance of Kyle Monangai. As it turns out, the rookie running back was one of Chicago’s best performers in the NFC Divisional Round.
Over at Pro Football Focus, Lauren Gray graded the top rookies who participated in last week’s AFC and NFC Divisional Round games. Coming in with a top-5 performance was Bears running back Kyle Monangai. This is what Gray had to say about how the rookie from Rutgers played:
Chicago’s season came to an end after an overtime loss to the Rams. Monangai ripped off a 15-yard run late in the first quarter to move the Bears to the Rams’ nine-yard line, but he finished the game with only 36 rushing yards on 13 carries. He gained three first downs and forced four missed tackles (tied for second most), but his 30.8% stuff rate was his second-highest clip in a game this season.
Monangai earned a 77.2 PFF receiving grade (third best among running backs), catching each of his four targets for 28 yards and two first downs. His longest reception, 16 yards, came midway through the second quarter on an underneath pass.
At first blush, Kyle Monangai’s stat line from Chicago’s playoff ouster against Los Angeles isn’t all that memorable. He ran it 13 times for 36 yards and added four receptions for another 36 yards. But it’s not as if Monangai didn’t have some eye-opening moments. Three of his carries resulted in first downs, and his tackle-breaking ability was on full display with four missed tackles forced and a 35.3 percent missed tackles forced rate. We’ve got a long offseason ahead of us. But when I’m feeling in a rut, I’ll make sure to rewatch this clip to get the juices flowing again:
You don’t need to watch Kyle Monangai runs, you can just listen to them ? pic.twitter.com/Q0cTC8ISm5
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) January 19, 2026Kyle Monangai was a bright spot in Bears playoff loss to Rams
Kyle Monangai finished his rookie season in Chicago with 783 rushing yards on 169 carries in 17 games. He also chipped in with 18 catches and 164 receiving yards. In two postseason games, Monangai contributed 63 rushing yards on 21 carries to go along with five catches and 58 receiving yards. Pro Football Focus graded Monangai as the 46th-best running back among the 59 who played enough to qualify for the site’s leaderboard. As a point of comparison, teammate D’Andre Swift earned the ninth-best grade among backs this year with a career-best 83.0 mark.
SIMPLY THE BEST: Why PFF Gave the Bears’ 2025 NFL Draft Class Top Grade
Even with his grade being what it is, I am still encouraged about what the future could look like for Kyle Monangai. His 75.8 PFF rushing grade looks strong and it was fun to watch him force missed tackles, collect expolsive plays on the ground (15 runs of 10+ yards), and win two Angry Runs scepters. But one area that needs to improve is his pass catching. Monangai’s 40.1 receiving grade was well below average and ranked 51st among 55 running backs. There were moments where I felt like he got better in that phase of the game as the season went along. But he should strive to be better and more consistent in that area of his game.
WATCH IT AGAIN: KYLE MONANGAI SCORES HIS FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN
In the end, I find myself striking a balance in enjoying the fact that Kyle Monangai’s play earned some well-earned praise while also being bummed out that his efforts weren’t enough to help push the Bears into the NFC Championship Game. I know better than to expect the Bears will be back in this spot next year. But if Monangai takes his game to another level next year, it will certainly help matters. However, if it does happen, it will be under the tutelage of a new position coach with Eric Bieniemy leaving his post as Chicago’s RBs coach to become the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator (again).
Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn ImagesCHECK OUT A NEW EPISODE OF THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Hence then, the article about rookie kyle monangai put up a sneaky good performance in the divisional round was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Rookie Kyle Monangai Put Up a Sneaky Good Performance in the Divisional Round )
Also on site :