With Swift and Monangai both firing on all cylinders, are they the league’s elite backfield pair. DH
The numbers say yes. The eye test reflects the same.
Remember when there were concerns that the team didn’t do enough to improve the running back position in the offseason? The Bears’ 24-15 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles was the perfect example of why they didn’t need to.
Chicago’s backfield pair of Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift put the team on their back, carrying the ball a combined 40 times for 255 yards and two scores. They became the first Bears duo to eclipse 100 rushing yards in the same game since 1985. What a wonderful accomplishment. I personally can’t think of any more significant ones the team had that year…
Many were concerned that Ben Johnson’s offense wouldn’t work without the horses in the backfield that he had at his disposal in Detroit. They fielded the perfect thunder (David Montgomery) and lightning (Jahmyr Gibbs) combination. Meanwhile, Swift was often clowned on social media for having subpar vision. Monangai nearly went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. Do they really expect to field a competent running game with these two?
Why yes. Yes, they did. And they are.
Through the first 12 games, Chicago currently leads the league with 153.8 rushing yards per game. No one (and I mean no one) expected that. They’ve clearly found their own potent thunder (Monangai) and lightning (Swift) combination. Ben Johnson certainly deserves credit for installing an explosive offense, and the offensive line deserves their flowers for opening the running lanes for the duo. They still have to hit them when they’re there, though. They’ve done a marvelous job in that department since the Bye Week.
Swift is on pace for 1091 rushing yards, even though he missed a game. Meanwhile, Monangai is on pace for 837 yards on the ground. For what it’s worth, no second option in any rushing attack had as many rushing yards as the seventh-round rookie, who is undoubtedly one of the biggest steals in the 2025 NFL Draft, is pacing towards.
Is that fact alone enough to warrant praise as the league’s best backfield duo?
No, it’s not the only one. It is the most important one, though. Swift ranks 12th in the league in rushing yards. Monangai ranks 22nd. The latter has 48 more yards and one more touchdown despite having two fewer attempts than David Montgomery, who is often credited with being the league’s best “backup” running back.
I know some are going to scoff at the notion that Swift and Monangai could be better than Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery. They’re truly an incredible duo in their own right. I don’t think you could argue that Swift is better than Gibbs, who already has over 1400 total yards and 13 touchdowns this year. Even with how good he’s been playing, that would be a silly argument.
I do think Kyle Monangai has a strong argument for being better than David Montgomery, though. Anyone discrediting the notion is caught up on the fact that he was selected much later than he should have been in the draft. “Do you really think a seventh-round rookie is better than Montgomery?” Based on what he’s put on tape this season? Yes, I very much do.
I was even high on the Rutgers product before his breakout game against Cincinnati. Outside of an underwhelming performance against the Giants, he’s been lights out whenever he’s gotten the rock.
Besides the duo in Detroit. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet also deserve some recognition as a great duo for the Seahawks. As do Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta. The Broncos have a solid duo in J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. None of these pairs has looked better than the Bears duo this season, though. Factoring in the combined production between each pair, it hasn’t even really been close.
The Bears’ backfield duo certainly passes the eye test. They also complement each other extremely well. They also have the stats to back it up.
