Kyle Monangai’s biggest rushing performance of the season came with a frustrating price. The Chicago Bears running back has been sidelined ever since, and Thursday Night Football will bring another missed opportunity.

Monangai has been ruled out against the New England Patriots in Week 7 as he continues recovering from thumb and toe injuries. Chicago will again turn to its remaining backs while waiting for him to return.

What Happened to Kyle Monangai?

Monangai suffered the injuries during Chicago’s 23–12 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 4. He delivered 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 30 carries, but hurt both his toe and thumb during the game.

The toe injury was subsequently reported as turf toe. Monangai saw a specialist and missed the Bears’ Week 5 trip to Green Bay, followed by their Week 6 victory over Atlanta. Thursday will mark his third consecutive absence.

There was little progress on the practice report during the short turnaround. Chicago listed Monangai as a non-participant Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before officially ruling him out. His designation includes both the thumb and toe injuries.

That makes his status clear before the Thursday inactive list arrives. Fantasy managers should keep Monangai out of their Week 7 lineups, and the Bears must prepare their rushing rotation without him.

The interruption came just as he demonstrated how much work he could handle. His performance against the Jets supplied a strong example of the upside inMonangai’s role alongside D’Andre Swift. Chicago has now gone several weeks without another chance to build on it.

When Could Monangai Return, and Who Replaces Him?

Head coach Ben Johnson described Monangai as week-to-week last Friday, with the running back expected to avoid injured reserve. There is no confirmed return date, however, and remaining on the active roster does not guarantee he will be ready for Chicago’s next game.

D’Andre Swift remains the lead option, with Roschon Johnson available for complementary work. Johnson filled that supporting role during Monangai’s absence against Green Bay, recording 10 touches for 40 scrimmage yards.

Swift enters Thursday ranked No. 13 inPFN’s NFL Running Back Impact rankings with a 79.0 grade through Week 6. Monangai remains No. 15 at 77.3 despite missing the previous two games. Before the injuries, he accumulated 324 rushing yards and 39 receiving yards across four appearances.

Chicago did receive encouraging news up front. Right guard Jonah Jackson progressed to full participation Wednesday and carries no game designation after dealing with hip and quadriceps issues. His availability gives the remaining backs some welcome continuity in the blocking unit.

For Monangai, the next meaningful development will be a return to practice. Until that happens, the Bears have another game to navigate with Swift and Johnson handling the backfield work.