The Chicago Bears have a long history of elite running backs, which makes it that much more impressive what D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai have accomplished through the first four games of the season.
With Monangai’s 146-yard performance and Swift’s 58-yard game in Chicago’s Week 4 win against the New York Jets, they became the first Bears duo to each have at least 300 rushing yards through the first four games of the season. They are also the first duo since Hall of Famer Walter Payton and Roland Harper in 1978 to have at least 200 rushing yards in the first four weeks of the season.
Per @BearsPR, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai are the first teammates in team history each with 300+ rushing yards through the first four weeks in the season. They're
the first duo since Walter Payton/Roland Harper in 1978 to each have 200+ rush yards in the first four games.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) October 4, 2026
Back in that 1978 season, Payton led the league in rushing attempts with 333 and had 1,395 rushing yards while Harper was just eight yards shy of also hitting 1,000 yards. It was the closest Chicago ever got to having two players with at least 1,000 rushing yards in the same season. With how each of them have started the season, Swift and Monangai could certainly accomplish this feat.
Furthermore, both running backs have the chance to hit at least 1,300 rushing yards which a Bears running back has not done since Jordan Howard had 1,313 rushing yards his rookie season. Swift is currently averaging 77.75 yards per game while Monangai averages 81 yards per game although that is skewed by his game against the Jets.
If either back maintains their average throughout the season, they would have over 1,300 rushing yards. Only four running backs in Bears history have hit 1,300 or more yards in a season - Payton on nine different occasions, Howard in 2016, Matt Forte in 2013 and Thomas Jones in 2005.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai made history in Bears' win vs Jets
