The Chicago Bears want to extend Darnell Wright, and by all accounts, Wright wants to continue to play for the team. However, working out a contract for a former top-ten pick who is ascending in the NFL can be tough. Ryan Poles noted that while he wants to get a deal done, he realizes that there is a chance that one does not.
Ryan Poles put a deadline on Darnell Wright extension talks
Poles made it clear in his discussion with the media prior to training camp that he plans to work out a deal with Wright. However, if it gets to a certain point, the Bears are going to turn their attention away from Wright and his contract and back to football.
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) July 28, 2026
In a roundabout way, Poles is putting a deadline on the contract talks. This can be a policy that a lot of teams do. They discuss contracts in the offseason, but when the season starts, they wait. So, the Bears following this practice is not a huge surprise.
The thought would be that the team has until the start of Week 1 to iron out a deal. So, while Poles is putting a deadline on things, that timeline is a bit down the road.
However, potentially waiting has its drawbacks as well. The Minnesota Vikings just signed Brian O’Neil a deal that would make him the second-highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. He is making $24M per year on average annual value.
O’Neil is going to be 31 years old, while Wright is 25 years old. Even if the two are close in their ability, Wright is going to demand more than him due to the potential that he brings. Waiting will only cause the potential for other deals to come in and for the price of Wright to go up.
As of now, the top right tackle is making $25M per year. Penei Sewell and Tristan Wirfs signed deals when they played right tackle, but both of them play on the left side now. Still, they are both over $28M per year.
The expectation for Wright is that he would bridge the gap between Johnson and Sewell and find a deal somewhere between those two. It will be interesting to see if the Bears do decide to halt talks, and when. Or will they get a deal done before the deadline? It will be interesting to see if a deal gets done.
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