Packers' Even Worse Injury Luck May Nullify Bears' Kyle Monangai Loss

The Chicago Bears won't have running back Kyle Monangai on Sunday due to a toe issue. And yet, the Green Bay Packers' even worse injury luck may nullify the stroke of luck Matt LaFleur stumbled into.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson is missing his top running back, and his high-priced 27-year-old D'Andre Swift is banged up with a hip injury but is expected to play.

Not to be outdone, Green Bay lost linebacker Edgerrin Cooper to a season-ending Achilles issue last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is questionable with a toe injury. The defensive front's biggest weapons against the run are compromised.

LaFleur acknowledged the emotional toll Cooper's loss caused the team last week.

"He's a tough one to lose. We all saw what he was able to do in a half of football... My heart hurts for him and his recovery and what he's going through," LaFleur said.

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said it'd be tough to replace Cooper.

"He's a really good player. Can do a lot of things for us. My heart hurts for him... It's a tough break. Hard to replace a guy like that, obviously," Gannon said.

Chicago just might win for losing, since the Packers have an uncanny ability to suffer greater losses on their side of late.

Minus Hargrave and Cooper, the Bears may be able to get by with Roschon Johnson getting significant carries.

Johnson's highest yardage total in a single game is 38, which came against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. The most carries Johnson has ever received was 10, which he did three different times: that same year against the Minnesota Vikings and the next season (2024) against the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay.

Johnson getting 10 carries against the current-day Packers may well bear more fruit with how poor they are against the run. Green Bay's run defense has a 139.2 yards per game average through four games.

Hargrave graded out as a 74.7 against the run, per PFF. Cooper graded out as a 71 for the 2025 season.

Missing Cooper will hurt for the Packers, but missing Hargrave could be devastating.

Johnson could be the biggest beneficiary of this awful Green Bay injury luck.

Monangai's injury and Swift nursing his wounds could be a blessing in disguise for the running back room if/when the two fully heal this season.

Johnson could establish himself as a workable RB3 at Lambeau Field. That'd be the ultimate win this weekend beyond the scoreboard.

Chicago is having a strange season, where bad luck becomes good luck quickly. The franchise learned it has three quarterbacks who can help it win NFL games because of injuries.

Ben Johnson is running the silver linings playbook. How far that can take the team this year is unclear. So far, the early returns are promising.

When a team can turn losses into wins, the culture is clearly in a good place, though.