Bears get the welcome news they were hoping for ahead of Week 1 with key returns but there's still one hiccup to monitor

The Chicago Bears held a short practice on Monday to kick off the Week 1 preparations, a session that featured both running backs on the field for the first time in weeks. The Chicago Bears held a short walk-through practice on Monday that lasted roughly 50 minutes to kick off the week of preparations heading into the Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. And the team got some major injury news on offense. Last week's practice ended on a somber note when starting running back D'Andre Swift left the practice field holding his midsection and clearly was in pain. A few hours after practice ended, it was revealed that Swift was dealing with cramps suffered during the hot and physical practice.It was encouraging news for one of the team's top standouts from training camp, who claimed 'there's no reason we shouldn't get off to a fast start' when talking about the run game going into the first game of the regular season. That expectation is back on the rails after Swift returned to practice on Monday, and he wasn't the lone return to the backfield.Second-year running back Kyle Monangai was also back at practice for the first time in 22 days. Monangai suffered a knee injury during practice on August 16 as was considered week-to-week. There was a concern that the injury would linger into the start of the season, but seeing Monangai back out there is an optimistic sign.'He's out there working,' Swift said last week of Monangai. 'I watched him work, run today. He looked good to me. He's in good spirits, but (I'm) just telling him to take it one day at a time. Nobody's rushing him. He'll come back when he's ready.' Attendance check: D'Andre Swift & Kyle Monangai! Present!Good to see Nos. 4 & 25 ahead of Week 1! pic.twitter.com/i4N2Ai8h1w Swift wasn't the only starting weapon that left early last Thursday. Wide receiver Rome Odunze was also injured and left the field early favoring his right leg/heel. Not long after practice, Dan Wiederer of The Athletic reported that the 'preliminary indications are that Odunze should be all good' and avoided a serious injury.It's again worth noting that Odunze's foot injury from the 2025 season was his left foot, what he's dealing with now is a right leg/foot issue.The fact he wasn't out there on Monday is mildly concerning, but we'll see how things continue to look throughout the week. Wednesday's practice will especially be a big one to monitor considering the team will release the first official injury report after practice. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.