Chicago Bears RB Duo Ranked Among NFL’s Best Entering 2026 Season

Running back was one of the few spots that Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles didn’t have to spend much time on this offseason. D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai already showed in 2025 that they can carry the load together, and there’s every reason to believe that pairing will keep producing in 2026.

In fact, they're already viewed as one of the NFL's best one-two punches.

According to a recent CBS Sports ranking of the NFL's top running back tandems, Swift and Monangai rank seventh entering the 2026 season. It's a ranking that reflects what this offense became late last year and what it could grow into next.

The Bears' Ground Game Quietly Became Elite in 2025

The Bears did not just run the ball effectively in 2025. They leaned on it.

The Chicago Bears finished as the No. 3 rushing offense in the NFL, a major development for a team that spent much of the previous season trying to find balance. That shift helped stabilize the offense around Caleb Williams and gave defenses something else to worry about on every snap.

At the center of that success was Swift.

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He delivered the most complete season of his career, handling lead duties while still sharing the workload. That balance mattered. It kept him fresh and allowed the offense to stay multiple in how it attacked defenses.

Swift ended the 2025 season with 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns.

Kyle Monangai’s Role Changed the Equation

The biggest development in the Chicago Bears' backfield was not just Swift’s production. It was the emergence of Monangai, a seventh-round pick.

As a rookie, Kyle Monangai turned 169 carries into 783 yards and five touchdowns, delivering real production in a complementary role and helping the Bears maintain their rushing efficiency no matter who was on the field.

Monangai’s ability to step in and keep the offense on schedule allowed the Bears to avoid the drop-off that many teams experience when their lead back comes off the field.

Why The Swift-Monangai Pairing Works

The Chicago Bears got so much out of D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai because their skill sets fit together so naturally.

Swift brings vision, burst, and the ability to create in space. Monangai brings physicality and reliability between the tackles. Together, they give the offense flexibility depending on situation and game flow.

That balance is exactly what Ben Johnson has leaned into throughout his career.

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Johnson has built productive backfields before, most recently in Detroit with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. And the early returns in Chicago suggest he sees this tandem the same way. Not as a feature back with a backup, but as a true two-man rotation that can carry the offense when needed.

There Is Still Another Level For Chicago Bears' Running Game

Seventh in the league is a strong starting point for the Chicago Bears' backfield tandem.

It is not the ceiling.

Monangai is entering Year 2, which is often where young backs take a noticeable jump. Swift, coming off his best season, now has continuity in both scheme and supporting cast. That matters for timing and efficiency in the run game.

If both players take even a modest step forward, the Bears could realistically end the 2026 season with the best backfield tandem in the NFL.

The Bottom Line

The Bears did not need to chase a new running back this offseason. And unlike last offseason, fans aren't clamoring for Poles to shake things up, either.

They already have a pairing that produced, complemented each other, and helped power one of the league’s most effective rushing attacks.

Finishing seventh reflects what D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai accomplished last season. And while 2026 could be the final year this pairing shares the backfield in Chicago, it also has the potential to become one of the team’s most productive rushing seasons in years.