The Chicago Bears broke through to win a division title last season, but the theme of the offseason is how they can keep that momentum rolling into 2026 and beyond. The Bears are hoping that their gut instinct in last month’s draft and a couple of key free agent signings can help that process, but they’ll also need to think about their franchise cornerstones, including offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
In his third season with the Bears, Wright broke through to earn a second-team All-Pro selection last fall and is one of several players with an upward trajectory in Chicago. While the Bears picked up the 2023 first-round pick’s fifth-year option earlier this spring, his next contract continues to be a hot topic and one that Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus suggested the Bears should get done sooner rather than later.
“After a more pedestrian first season, Wright has turned into one of the league’s best tackles,” Locker wrote in a list of 15 extension candidates for the upcoming season. “Since 2024, Wright ranks 11th in [wins above replacement] (0.50) and 15th in overall PFF grade (85.1) at the position. He’s been particularly lucrative in the run game, where his 86.5 PFF run-blocking mark places sixth.
“With the Bears’ offense beginning to take shape under Ben Johnson in 2025, Wright remains a key part of the team’s upward trajectory. The 24-year-old should fetch at least $23 million per season on his new contract.”
Bears Would Benefit Greatly From Signing Darnell Wright Before 2026 Season
Signing Wright to a long-term extension should be a no-brainer for the Bears. While he was a solid player in his second season, posting a 79.3 overall grade while allowing 30 quarterback pressures and six sacks in Matt Eberflus’s dysfunctional offense in 2024, he was even better in 2025, posting an 80.3 overall grade with 24 pressures and three sacks in 740 pass-blocking snaps.
That performance made it an easy decision when Chicago picked up the fifth-year option. But figuring out a number to pay Wright could be a more difficult process.
Along with Locker’s $23 million projection, Spotrac believes that the soon-to-be 25-year-old could fetch a contract worth $19.5 million per season. While Wright’s fifth-year option is projected at $19 million by Over The Cap, it could also serve as a starting point that can be spread out over the duration of the contract.
The sooner a deal gets done, the better. While Wright’s draftmate, Paris Johnson Jr., plays on the opposite side of the line, he could raise the price of a potential deal with a Spotrac projection of $22 million per season. Other notable right tackles, such as Brian O’Neill of the Minnesota Vikings and Michael Onwenu of the New England Patriots, are also approaching free agency next spring and could drive up the price it would take to keep Wright in Chicago beyond the 2027 campaign.
Chicago probably doesn’t want any distractions as they look to defend their division title this year, and locking up Wright with an extension would be one way to nip it in the bud. While the Bears are projected with $10.7 million in cap space for the upcoming season, their conservative offseason approach may allow them to have $31.7 million and could increase that space by reaching a deal.
Put it together, and the bill has come due for Wright. The Bears should be willing to pay it, and the circumstances suggest the sooner he signs, the happier both sides will be.
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