If Nahshon Wright didn’t come back to the Chicago Bears in free agency, it was because he was going to get a massive contract.
The Bears’ reclamation project was a driving force of their turnaround in 2025, 80 total tackles, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries to earn his first Pro Bowl appearance. Like most things, timing is everything and Wright’s seemed perfect as he was projected by Spotrac to command a projected market value of $16.7 million per season.
Everything was lined up for Wright to cash in until he signed on the dotted line. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Wright has agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Jets that carries a maximum value of only $5.5 million.
While that’s a solid deal for a player whose career was on the brink before coming to Chicago last spring, it’s a shocking conclusion for a player that many believed would be out of the Bears’ price range this offseason.
The NFL Saw Through Nahshon Wright’s Breakout Season with Bears
Coming into this season, Wright logged just one interception and five total pass defenses as he battled injuries and struggled to earn playing time with the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. His time with the Vikings appeared to be rock bottom as he appeared in one game and was released the following April.
The Bears signed him the following day and were able to reap the benefits last season. But outside of the turnovers, Wright was a liability in coverage, allowing 60 catches for 800 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions and seven pass breakups on 93 targets according to Pro Football Focus.
That said, Wright clearly benefited from being in Chicago's system. His presumed exit was due to the expected cost and the fact other contending, CB-needy teams were anticipated to be in the running. No one thought he'd be this cheap, and the conversation around his possible Bears return would've been much different if this was the known price.
All of that makes this an unexpected close to Wright's run in the Windy City. In the end, Wright couldn’t even get a multiyear deal from the Jets, who were the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without recording an interception last year.
If Wright performs well, there’s a chance that executives will see that and put them at the top of their free agent lists next season. If he improves his coverage, that will be another selling point that could bring him closer to a deal that The Athletic estimated could be worth $40.5 million over three years.
On the flipside, Bears fans who watched Wright become BBQ chicken when he wasn’t generating turnovers may not be surprised. The front office may have not been surprised either as they identified former Seattle Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant as a top free agent target and gave him the three-year, $40 million contract many projected for Wright.
In the end, Wright has something to prove and the Bears will hope that Bryant can pick up the slack in the turnover department next season.