Ben Johnson: Kyle Monangai is “getting better” after a “fickle” toe injury and is questionable vs. the Buccaneers

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson met reporters at Halas Hall on Friday and delivered the Week 9 injury picture before Sunday night’s home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The headline was running back Kyle Monangai, who returned to practice on a limited basis for the first time since injuring his toe and thumb in the Week 4 win over the Jets and is listed as questionable after missing the last four games. “Getting better,” Johnson said. “Each injury is a little bit different, and you try to get a timeline, an approximation of what you think it could be, and some guys come back a little bit sooner, some guys take a little bit longer. Those toe injuries, those can be fickle at times, and that’s what this one’s proved to be.”

Asked whether he hopes to have Monangai available after the bye, Johnson kept the window open. “I’m hoping every week. I’m hoping every day and every week he’ll be back out there for us,” Johnson said. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson (thumb) and Malik Muhammad (toe) were also limited Friday and listed as questionable; Stevenson’s thumb was a new entry on the report.

Benedet and Jarrett clear designations

Left tackle Theo Benedet (shoulder), defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (groin) and linebacker D’Marco Jackson (ankle) were full participants and carried no injury designations for Sunday. Benedet had played all 70 offensive snaps in Monday’s win at Seattle. “I wasn’t even aware during the game that he was feeling something,” Johnson said. “A lot of those guys, things will pop up over the course of the game, and your adrenaline helps get you through the rest of it.” On Jarrett, Johnson said, “Grady’s tough. I know he wants to be out there, and he knows how big this one is for us.”

Simmons’ short-week impact

Johnson also said Jeffery Simmons’ impact since joining the club has been “fairly dramatic,” pointing to consistency in the building and on game day as what good teams sustain on a short week. Chicago is 6-2 and hosts Tampa Bay at Soldier Field; kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, which is 3:20 a.m. Cairo Monday.