- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,149,570
- Reaction score
- 59
The Chicago Bears had a magical 2025 season under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, where they went from worst to first with an 11-6 record, NFC North title and the franchise's first playoff win in 15 years. And there's no denying that the future is bright.
While the Bears exceeded expectations in their first year under Johnson, there's still plenty of work to be done with this roster, most notably on defense. After overhauling the offense in the trenches and at skill positions, the focus shifts to the defense where the hope is general manager Ryan Poles does the same to round out this unit under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and form a complete team with a top-five offense.
Here at Bears Wire, we're going position by position through the 2025 Bears and grading every player. Next up: Running back, where veteran D'Andre Swift made returned to his explosive form while having rookie Kyle Monangai behind him. Both backs gave head coach Ben Johnson a rushing attack that mirrored what he had in Detroit when he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, putting together one of the best duos in the NFL.
2025 stats: 223 carries, 1,087 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns; 34 receptions, 299 yards, 1 touchdown
After a down year in his first season with the Bears, many expected the team to look elsewhere than D'Andre Swift at the running back position entering the 2025 season. Instead they stood pat and brought in reinforcements behind Swift, and he rewarded the team with the best rushing season of his career. Swift reached career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns, while leading the charge for one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL. The Bears didn't need a different running back, a change in the coaching staff and upgraded offensive line was all that was needed for Swift.
Grade: A-
2025 stats: 169 carries, 783 yards, 5 touchdowns; 18 receptions, 164 yards
While the Bears were thought to bring in a running back early in the 2025 NFL Draft, they waited until the seventh round and selected Monangai out of Rutgers with their final pick of the draft. Coming into training camp, Monangai faced an uphill battle but injuries to Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer elevated him up the depth chart, and shortly after, a powerful duo with him and Swift was created. For Swift's elusiveness, Monangai brought the hard, angry-style rushing attack. Never shying away from contact, and never giving up after the first hit, Monangai established himself as an important player in the Bears offense, and he could see even more opportunities in 2026. His grade comes from what he earned as a seventh-round pick to open the year, and an important contributor to end it.
Grade: A
2025 stats: 2 carries, 17 yards
There's not much to say for Roschon Johnson, who played in just seven games on the season, only amounting for a total of 17 yards and playing mostly on special teams. The arrival and emergence of Monangai took away any and all opportunities from the fourth-year back on offense, and his production has dipped each season since his rookie year in 2023.
Grade: INCOMPLETE
2025 stats: 1 carry, -2 yards
Very much like Roschon Johnson, Homer had little to no contribution for the Bears offense, and has mainly been used on special teams since joining the Bears in 2023. The long-time veteran who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Seahawks only has seven rush attempts in his three seasons with Chicago.
Grade: INCOMPLETE
2025 stats: 5 carries, 37 yards, 1 touchdown
A former seventh-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brittain Brown played in just three games for Chicago this season as a member of the practice squad. But he made a few explosive plays while he was on the field. He also contributed on special teams with one kickoff return for 23 yards and was a nice depth piece to have when needed, which was rarely.
Grade: INCOMPLETE
The running back position was a major concern heading into the 2025 season, and the Bears didn't make any drastic moves to completely overhaul it as expected. Instead, the front office and coaching staff got together to rebuild the offensive line, find a complementary back to D'Andre Swift, and all of that resulted in the Bears having the third-best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 144.5 yards per game on the ground. The running game also helped in the development of quarterback Caleb Williams in his second season, and while Swift may not be the elite superstar that many might desire, he's more than a good fit in Ben Johnson's offense. Kyle Monangai isn't just a success story as a seventh-round pick, he's an incredible talent and has formed one of the better running back duos in the NFL for Chicago.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears RB review: Grading D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai in 2025
Continue reading...
While the Bears exceeded expectations in their first year under Johnson, there's still plenty of work to be done with this roster, most notably on defense. After overhauling the offense in the trenches and at skill positions, the focus shifts to the defense where the hope is general manager Ryan Poles does the same to round out this unit under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and form a complete team with a top-five offense.
Here at Bears Wire, we're going position by position through the 2025 Bears and grading every player. Next up: Running back, where veteran D'Andre Swift made returned to his explosive form while having rookie Kyle Monangai behind him. Both backs gave head coach Ben Johnson a rushing attack that mirrored what he had in Detroit when he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, putting together one of the best duos in the NFL.
RB D'Andre Swift
2025 stats: 223 carries, 1,087 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns; 34 receptions, 299 yards, 1 touchdown
After a down year in his first season with the Bears, many expected the team to look elsewhere than D'Andre Swift at the running back position entering the 2025 season. Instead they stood pat and brought in reinforcements behind Swift, and he rewarded the team with the best rushing season of his career. Swift reached career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns, while leading the charge for one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL. The Bears didn't need a different running back, a change in the coaching staff and upgraded offensive line was all that was needed for Swift.
Grade: A-
Kyle Monangai
2025 stats: 169 carries, 783 yards, 5 touchdowns; 18 receptions, 164 yards
While the Bears were thought to bring in a running back early in the 2025 NFL Draft, they waited until the seventh round and selected Monangai out of Rutgers with their final pick of the draft. Coming into training camp, Monangai faced an uphill battle but injuries to Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer elevated him up the depth chart, and shortly after, a powerful duo with him and Swift was created. For Swift's elusiveness, Monangai brought the hard, angry-style rushing attack. Never shying away from contact, and never giving up after the first hit, Monangai established himself as an important player in the Bears offense, and he could see even more opportunities in 2026. His grade comes from what he earned as a seventh-round pick to open the year, and an important contributor to end it.
Grade: A
Roschon Johnson
2025 stats: 2 carries, 17 yards
There's not much to say for Roschon Johnson, who played in just seven games on the season, only amounting for a total of 17 yards and playing mostly on special teams. The arrival and emergence of Monangai took away any and all opportunities from the fourth-year back on offense, and his production has dipped each season since his rookie year in 2023.
Grade: INCOMPLETE
Travis Homer
2025 stats: 1 carry, -2 yards
Very much like Roschon Johnson, Homer had little to no contribution for the Bears offense, and has mainly been used on special teams since joining the Bears in 2023. The long-time veteran who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Seahawks only has seven rush attempts in his three seasons with Chicago.
Grade: INCOMPLETE
Brittain Brown
2025 stats: 5 carries, 37 yards, 1 touchdown
A former seventh-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brittain Brown played in just three games for Chicago this season as a member of the practice squad. But he made a few explosive plays while he was on the field. He also contributed on special teams with one kickoff return for 23 yards and was a nice depth piece to have when needed, which was rarely.
Grade: INCOMPLETE
Position grade: A-
The running back position was a major concern heading into the 2025 season, and the Bears didn't make any drastic moves to completely overhaul it as expected. Instead, the front office and coaching staff got together to rebuild the offensive line, find a complementary back to D'Andre Swift, and all of that resulted in the Bears having the third-best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 144.5 yards per game on the ground. The running game also helped in the development of quarterback Caleb Williams in his second season, and while Swift may not be the elite superstar that many might desire, he's more than a good fit in Ben Johnson's offense. Kyle Monangai isn't just a success story as a seventh-round pick, he's an incredible talent and has formed one of the better running back duos in the NFL for Chicago.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears RB review: Grading D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai in 2025
Continue reading...
