Bears rule out Kyle Monangai for Packers game; two-week absence possible

The Chicago Bears will be without running back Kyle Monangai for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers. The league's leading rusher on the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense is out after a toe injury proved more serious than the team initially realized, and a longer absence could be coming.

Monangai, who has been the engine of Chicago's ground game, saw a specialist and is currently in a boot, per Bears beat reporter Courtney Cronin, who first reported the news. The concern for the team is that this could stretch to a two-week absence or longer, removing the centerpiece of the NFL's most productive rushing attack for more than just the Packers game.

That leaves the Bears to lean on the rest of their backfield rotation against Green Bay. Head coach Ben Johnson's offense has leaned on the ground game to protect the quarterback and control the clock, so the loss of Monangai changes the identity of the matchup. With Green Bay coming to town fresh off a rivalry week, the Bears must find a way to keep the Packers' defense honest without their bell cow.

If the toe lingers into a multi-week absence, Chicago's plans for the stretch ahead would shift materially, making this more than a one-game concern.