Monangai was the team’s seventh-round draft pick.
Eric Bieniemy, the Bears’ running backs coach, likes to tell rookie Kyle Monangai that every practice is a job interview.
“I’m just trying to ace the interview every day,” Monangai said.
His job interview got off to a slow start in his first-ever trip to Soldier Field on Sunday. Playing alongside the starters in an 11-on-11 drill at “Family Fest,’ he seventh-round pick ran to his left to take a pitch from Caleb Williams, while the quarterback looked to pitch the ball to the right. Monangai was at fault — he went the wrong way — and eventually took a handoff and stumbled forward for a yard.
He spent the rest of the drive, though, carrying the Bears. He ran for a first down on third-and-4 and later scored on a second-and-goal run from the 2. Later, he plunged in for another touchdown alongside the second-team offense.
Not bad for the 22nd running back drafted this year alone.
“I’ve been very pleased with where he’s at,” coach Ben Johnson said after practice. “I think he’s a guy that we’re going to be able to trust this fall.”
Sunday marked an impressive start to one of the most important weeks of his young football career.
