Bears to Play Monday Without Kyle Monangai and Likely Colston Loveland

The Chicago Bears will face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football without running back Kyle Monangai. Head coach Ben Johnson confirmed the absence at a press conference on Saturday. Monangai is set to miss his fourth consecutive game in the 2026 season.

The Bears have managed their rushing attack without Monangai by relying on D'Andre Swift and backup running backs Roschon Johnson and Zavier Scott. Swift has carried the primary workload in Monangai's absence. He has rushed for 160 yards and four touchdowns over the last three weeks. His average of 3.4 yards per carry during that span is lower than his season average of 4.1 yards per carry.

Johnson indicated that Zavier Scott may receive more offensive touches. Scott joined the team after training camp, so he has had less time to integrate with the offense than the other players. Johnson noted that the team sees growth in Scott's practice reps each week. He stated that if the current trend of offensive play continues, the Bears will need all three running backs to contribute.

The offense has been able to function without Monangai's specific skills due to the return of quarterback Caleb Williams from a hamstring injury. Williams has shown an elevated level of play since rejoining the lineup. The team plans to incorporate Monangai into the offensive scheme when he returns, leveraging his presence alongside Williams.

Tight end Colston Loveland is expected to practice on Saturday. He appeared on the injury report on Friday as a limited participant with a neck injury. Johnson said the coaching staff hopes the injury is minor. The Bears are monitoring the situation as they prepare for Monday's game.

Loveland's availability is important because the offense is already missing Cole Kmet for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Kmet's absence has required the team to adjust its tight end group. Sam Roush is the primary option to replace Kmet. Quadir Ismail and Stephen Carlson are listed behind Roush. Hayden Large remains on injured reserve.

The Bears are scheduled to play the Seahawks on Monday. The team uses the bye week following this game to regroup. Johnson and the staff will evaluate Loveland's progress from Saturday's practice before finalizing the active roster for the game.