Kyle Monangai showed Bears he can do this one thing thunderously if called upon

Kyle Monangai became a favorite of Bears' fans as a rookie, and he also showed Ben Johnson was right about him.

Michael Hickey/GettyImagesThe Chicago Bears were definitely in the market for a running back in the 2025 NFL Draft, but circumstances outside their control led to them waiting until their final pick to take Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers.

Basically, upon arrival, Monangai impressed head coach Ben Johnson. So much so that the Bears' head coach singled him out for praise after mandatory minicamp, and later called the rookie someone who could be trusted come the fall.

As is common for a rookie, Monangai did not have a big role right away this season. But starting when he got double-digit…