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How Caleb Williams looks like a ‘new man’ in 2026 | 1-on-1 with Bears head coach Ben Johnson
The Chicago Bears are beginning Year 2 under Ben Johnson. They have a star quarterback and a division title under their belts. Cassie Carlson went 1-on-1 with Johnson, who explained his excitement for Luther Burden III, Caleb Williams' motivations and how Williams looks like a new man entering camp.
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai looked like the steal of the 2025 NFL Draft in the 2025 season.
However, in 2026 training camp, he's missed the last three practices after participating in the first day of action.
Bears coach Ben Johnson offered an update on Monangai's status going forward.
Big picture view:
Monangai's status was up in the air after he missed three practices in a row. The Bears watched Salvon Ahmed take most of the second-team reps behind first-team back D'Andre Swift.
On Monday, Johnson said Monangai was dealing with a soft-tissue injury and should be back in action relatively soon.
"We're taking it day-by-day," Johnsons said. "It should be on the shorter side."
Monangai amassed over 900 yards from scrimmage as a rookie last season. As the season went on, he earned more snaps in Johnson's offense.
On the ground, Monangai rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns.
While Monangai didn't wrestle the starting job from running back D'Andre Swift, he still naturally earned enough trust from the running back room to play consistently.
Monangai burst onto the scene when Swift missed the Bears' Nov. 2 game against the Bengals. He carried the ball 26 times for 176 yards and a 6.8 yard-per-carry average.
He had his second-career 100-yard game against the Eagles when he rushed for 130 yards and a score in win on Black Friday.
What's next:
Heading into Year 2, Monangai is expected to help spearhead the Bears' running game with Swift.
First, Monangai has to get healthy. Second, the Bears need to utilize him along side Swift.
Swift had a career year in 2025 with over 1,000 rush yards, and Johnson said the team is going to do what it needs to in order to keep Swift fresh over the course of a 17-game season.
"I feel really good about where he's at," Johnson said. "Where is as a runner, we feel really good right now."