Chicago Bears turn to a rookie to lead run game vs. Bengals with D’Andre Swift out

The Chicago Bears will get Tyrique Stevenson back this week vs. Cincinnati, but will be without one of their most consistent offensive players.

What we know:

The Bears’ offensive backfield will be without its go-to running back this week. 

Running back D’Andre Swift, who has scored a touchdown in each of the last four games, will miss Sunday’s game vs. the Bengals with a groin injury that’s been nagging him the past few weeks.

Johnson said on Friday that Swift’s injury probably dates back to earlier this season. Swift appeared on the Bears’ injury report after the win over the Commanders.

However, Johnson lauded Swift’s toughness in that he’s been feeling his injury but has still played through it. Swift has recorded 444 yards from scrimmage in the last four weeks. 

“It’s really been a chronic thing for a while now,” Johnson said. “We’re just doing our due diligence to make sure that we’re getting the best version of Swift to help this team, for him and his individual success, and we just want to make sure that we have him at a good spot for the whole season.”

With Swift out for this weekend, the Bears will turn to a rookie back.

First-year back Kyle Monangai will most likely start in the backfield, with Travis Homer and Brittain Brown getting carries. Roschon Johnson will also miss a game with a foot injury that kept him out last week.

Monangai mentioned this week how great it was to get perspective from the entire Bears’ running backs room.

“I learn every day,” Monangai told FOX 32’s Cassie Carlson this week. “Just the little minute details from Swift, learning from him. EB (Bears’ running backs coach Eric Bieniemy) obviously teaches the whole room, but we learn a lot just from all the football knowledge he knows, all the years of his success as a coach. And, he’s also played the position. He’s done it.”

Monangai will now be the featured back against a Bengals’ defense that’s last in the league in rushing yards allowed and 28th in the league in average yards per carry allowed.

The next man up has rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown in his rookie season so far.

Dig deeper:

Monangai might not be the only player asked to step up this week.

On Wednesday, all four of the Bears’ top receivers did not practice: DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and Olamide Zaccheaus.

Odunze’s injury is to his heel, which means it’s about managing the pain instead of being an injury that physically limits his movement.

“I didn’t know it was a big deal until he started popping up on that injury report recently,” Johnson said. “It’s been bothering him and I haven’t even known about it. It speaks to who he is, he’s tough and he wants to go out there and perform regardless of if he’s not being a hundred percent, so he’s got the right makeup. I’ll start with that. And then, when I turn on the tape, that’s really the ultimate judge of whether a guy’s ready or not. He looks like his normal self to me right now. So, if it is a pain management-thing, he’s managing it really well.”

Zaccheaus, Moore and Odunze were limited on Thursday and Friday, but Burden will be out with a concussion he suffered against the Ravens. That meant chances for another receiver to step up in Burden’s place.

With all those receivers out on Wednesday, Johnson got a look at some of the players lower on the depth chart – like Jahdae Walker, Devin Duvernay, Maurice Alexander or Miles Boykin – a chance to earn reps.

“It gave guys an opportunity that don’t normally get those reps. I see it that way where a number of practice squad guys or Jahdae Walker, for example, who’s been a little bit more special teams oriented. Duvernay, same thing,” Johnson said. “Give them an opportunity to step up to the plate and get some reps with Caleb in the first-string offense.”

The Bears won’t be completely short-handed as Moore, Odunze and Zaccheaus will play. But, Johnson, a former receivers coach, has confidence in the receivers room.

“We have professionals in there,” Johnson said. “To me, it gives them a chance to showcase what they’ve been working on over the course of the season so far.”

BearsSports