Nobody knows yet which quarterback will start for the Chicago Bears on Monday night. And that uncertainty should make one part of Ben Johnson's Week 3 plan increasingly obvious.
Chicago needs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai more than ever.
Caleb Williams is week-to-week with a right hamstring injury, while backup Tyson Bagent entered the NFL concussion protocol Tuesday. That leaves Case Keenum as a legitimate possibility to start against the Philadelphia Eagles if neither Williams nor Bagent is cleared.
Regardless of who takes the first snap Monday night, the Bears will have almost no choice but to make their running backs the centerpiece of the offensive game plan in Week 3.
Bears have two dramatically different rushing performances to begin 2026 season
Chicago's first two games couldn't have been more different offensively.
Against Carolina, the Bears rushed for 291 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Yes, you read that right.
Swift rushed 18 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns. Monangai added 100 yards and a touchdown. Chicago scored 59 points.
Seven days later, the Bears' running backs combined for just 92 rushing yards against Minnesota. Swift finished with 45 yards on 16 carries. Monangai had 47 on 10.
More damaging was Swift's third-quarter fumble at Minnesota's 1-yard line with Chicago trailing 6-3. And that just about summed up Week 2.
Monday night's Week 3 matchup offers a chance to return to what worked in Carolina.
Monangai may deserve a larger role
The most interesting part of Chicago's backfield through two games might be what Monangai has done with his opportunities.
He followed his 100-yard season opener by averaging 4.7 yards per carry against Minnesota. Swift averaged 2.8.
That doesn't mean Johnson should suddenly reverse their roles. Swift remains an important part of the passing game and caught five passes for 54 yards against the Vikings.
The good news is the Bears don't have to choose one or the other. They're a legitimate thunder and lightning tag team, but Bears fans would be lying if they said they didn't want to see Monangai get the carry that Swift fumbled away at the one-yard line.
With so much uncertainty at quarterback, Week 3 would be a pretty logical time to find out exactly how much Monangai can handle.
Philadelphia hasn't been perfect against the run
The Eagles are 2-0, but their defense hasn't been untouchable.
Philadelphia allowed Tennessee to rush for 124 yards Sunday after surrendering 119 rushing yards in its opener. The Eagles have also yet to force a turnover through two games.
That doesn't mean Chicago will reproduce Carolina's 291-yard eruption. But it doesn't mean they won't, either.
Last November, the Bears ran for 281 yards against this Eagles defense in a game that essentially announced Chicago's arrival as a legitimate playoff contender.
Bears need an offense that travels without Williams
The bigger issue for the Bears goes beyond Week 3's Monday night matchup. Johnson and the offense need to know they can win games in more than one way and without the Iceman heroics.
Week 1's victory showed what the offense can become when Williams, the running game, and Johnson's play calling click. Week 2 showed how quickly that can disappear.
Now Williams is hurt. Bagent is in the concussion protocol. And the Bears are preparing for an undefeated opponent on national television.
That's exactly when an established running game becomes valuable. Chicago has already seen Swift and Monangai combine for 224 rushing yards in one afternoon. And they've already witnessed this duo tear up Fangio's defense in 2025.
Here's to hoping for Act II on Monday night.
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