Ridiculous league-wide narrative could force Bears RT Darnell Wright to miss out on millions of dollars with his new extension
Chicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright is eligible for a new contract extension and expected to receive one at some point this summer, but one ESPN analyst has doubts that Wright’s deal will be record-breaking due to one overrated reason.
The Chicago Bears are working on a new long-term extension with former first-round pick Darnell Wright. The deal with the team’s starting right tackle is expected to be done sooner than later, perhaps before the team reports back for the start of training camp.
After battling consistency issues early in his career, Wright has established himself as a pillar and foundational player for Chicago’s entire offensive operation under head coach Ben Johnson.
Wright is just reaching the surface of his potential and is worth every penny the Bears intend to pay him on said extension. The question is: How much will Wright actually earn compared to other top players at his position?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has doubts that Chicago Bears RT Darnell Wright will reset the OT market
Wright’s upcoming extension with the Bears has the potential to be a record-breaking deal at the offensive tackle position, at the very least at the right tackle position.
Such a deal would easily be worth $25+ million a year. However, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has doubts that Wright’s contract will reset the overall offensive tackle market compared to another member of the 2023 draft class in Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt.
“Wright is a very good player and deserves to be paid, but Alt might be a different caliber of tackle who gets paid accordingly,” Barnwell wrote.
The reason Barnwell feels that way is solely based on the fact that Alt kicked over to left tackle in 2025 and Wright didn’t. Which only adds more fuel to the idea that left tackles deserve more money than right tackles.
Barnwell also added that “it seemed telling” that the Bears didn’t move Wright over to the left side despite having so much turnover at the position, which continues to be undecided going into the 2026 season. It’s an age old argument that for some reason continues to be prevalent in 2026.
The LT vs. RT debate has become an overblown narrative when it comes to positional value
Historically, left tackles have always been the crown jewel of the offensive line and paid like it when it comes to contracts. The majority of the top highest-paid offensive tackles are anchors on the left side, or eventually kicked over to that position from right tackle (i.e. Tristan Wirfs and Penei Sewell).
As things currently stand, only one pure right tackle is making $25 million a year and that player is Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles. The other eight tackles currently making that much annually are left tackles.
By that logic and Barnwell’s explanation, Wright’s natural position and the team’s desire to keep him there could cost him millions of dollars per year on his new deal. That’s unfair and Johnson’s point earlier in the week made the case for why Wright deserves a top deal at the tackle position, regardless of what side of the line he lines up on.
“When you watch us on offense we’re certainly a little bit more right-handed than left-handed and that is with him in mind,” Johnson explained. “I think he’s one of those tackles that’s a powerful player and can displace guys off the line of scrimmage. When you have that available, it’s such a luxury that you want to be able to sink into it and he’s proven that you can do that and carry the load if you will a lot of the times in the running game on his back.”
Bears view Wright as a ‘unicorn’ in that way, but it’ll be hard to say he’ll be the one to break this trend
One could say that Penei Sewell broke the LT vs. RT debate when he fully took over the right tackle role and eventually signed a four-year, $112 million contract extension with the Detroit Lions. That changed this offseason when the Lions forced Sewell to move back to the left side and drafted a first-round right tackle in Blake Miller.
The Bears could try to lean into this argument during negotiations and Wright’s team should use Johnson’s comments as ammo to fight for a higher praise. When push comes to shove, the Bears view Wright as a unique player and should pay him like it.
“I call him the unicorn for a reason,” Johnson said during the 2025-26 season. “He does some things that are pretty extraordinary. We have to continue to highlight what he can do with or without the ball.”
My prediction is that Wright signs a deal worth $27.5-28 million per year that will make him the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL and the fifth-highest paid offensive tackle. It’s still a very strong value for what Wright has shown and allows the Bears to avoid a record-setting deal. It’s a shame this narrative is still going around in 2026 and I personally hope Wright is able to land a deal that breaks down that wall once and for all.