The Chicago Bears turned the page on several players in March, with one of the biggest free-agent departures being cornerback Nahshon Wright. A successful reclamation project in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit, Wright was an impact player for the Bears, making five interceptions, forcing two fumbles, and recovering three more to have an attractive resume heading into free agency.
Despite being one of the top cornerbacks on the market, Wright was only able to earn a one-year deal from the New York Jets. Being relegated to one of the worst teams in the NFL and not making what you expect is a punch to the gut, and so was the news from NFL Network’s Judy Battista, who revealed that head coach Aaron Glenn “says definitively that Geno Smith is their starting quarterback.”
Jets' Geno Smith Commitment Could Fill Nahshon Wright with Regret
Although it is an expected development, it’s something that won’t play into Wright’s favor as he tries to build on his success from last season.
A former second-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys, Wright fell out of favor in Dallas before being mothballed by the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, before thriving in Chicago. While he was one of the NFL’s best ballhawks, he struggled in coverage, allowing 60 catches for 800 yards and eight touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.
The coverage numbers may have impacted Wright’s market. For the Jets, who became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without an interception in 2025, the ex-Bear was as attractive as a mirage in the middle of the desert. A one-year, $3.5 million contract with a max value of $5.5 million followed, but his job could be even harder with Smith at the controls.
Tasked with jump-starting Pete Caroll’s stint with the Las Vegas Raiders, Smith stumbled, completing 67.4% of his passes but only throwing for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns and a career-high 17 interceptions. Smith also led the NFL with 55 sacks taken, and while that’s an indictment on the Raiders’ offensive line, it’s unlikely to get better with the Jets, who ranked 22nd in PFF's final offensive line rankings.
While the Jets' other options were Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe, Smith still has the potential to make Wright’s life more difficult. Smith’s penchant for taking sacks could give teams prime field position that the Jets’ defense has to bail out, and that could get even worse if Smith keeps throwing the ball to the other team. Talented weapons, including Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, could help this problem, but Smith could cancel it out if he plays similarly to how he did with the Raiders.
This could also hurt Wright in the long term. If he's giving up touchdowns on short fields, his coverage numbers could look worse, bringing his chances of getting a more lucrative deal next offseason to a new low.
It’s a tough situation that Wright has thrown himself into after leaving Chicago. Much to his dismay, it could get worse now that the Jets have committed to a quarterback who couldn’t get the job done a season ago.