Head coach Ben Johnson said Friday that Monangai remains week-to-week but is "trending in the right direction," and that he will avoid injured reserve, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin. RotoWire and FantasyPros carried the same ruling after the report came out.
This will be Monangai's second straight missed game. The Bears ruled him out of the Week 5 game at Green Bay after he saw a specialist for the toe and was placed in a walking boot. A full week without practice made Sunday's ruling the expected result, but it settles the lineup question for anyone who was waiting on a late return.
What is confirmed: Monangai is out at Atlanta, and he is not headed to injured reserve. D'Andre Swift is not listed on the Bears' report, so he should lead the backfield again. What is still open is when Monangai can return to practice.
Chicago has other lineup questions this weekend. Quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) is questionable after three full practices. Linebackers T.J. Edwards and Keyshaun Elliott and defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo are also out.
For RSO owners, the move is simple. Bench Monangai for Week 6 and keep him rostered. Johnson's comments and the decision to skip injured reserve both point to a short absence, and he took over the lead role before the toe injury. If your league has an open IR slot, check whether its rules allow a player with an out designation. Otherwise, hold him on the bench.
