NFL just gave Bears star Darnell Wright all the leverage he needs to land one of the highest-paid contracts at his position
Chicago Bears right tackle and former first-round pick Darnell Wright is expected to land his first extension prior to the start of training camp, and he just got even more leverage to bring to the table in negotiations.
Chicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright is coming off the best season of his young NFL career at the best possible time going into the fourth year of his rookie contract.
The former 10th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is eligible for his first extension with the Bears, a deal the two sides are expected to iron out before the start of training camp later this week based on the timeline general manager Ryan Poles has used with other in-house extensions in the past.
Wright is coming off a second-team All-Pro worthy season in his first year playing under head coach Ben Johnson. He was truly the road paver of one of the league’s top rushing attacks and had one of his best seasons as a pass protector, all while playing half the season with a torn UCL in his shoulder.
He earned every penny coming his way and just got even more leverage to bring to the table in his negotiations with the Bears front office.
NFL executives, coaches, and scouts rank Darnell Wright as the top right tackle in football
On Saturday, the latest Top-10 positional rankings complied by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was released, this time focusing on the top offensive tackles in the league. The NFL executives, coaches, and scouts that were polled ranked Wright as the sixth offensive tackle in the league and the highest-ranked right tackle. One voter even had him ranked has high as No. 2 with one voter having him unranked.
“Power and brute strength,” an NFL personnel director said. “He can do whatever he wants on a football field.”
That ranking sets the table for what Wright’s value should be on a new contract. If you exclude Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, who was ranked No. 1 in the league but is moving from right tackle to left tackle, the highest-paid right tackle in the league is making $25 million a year (Philadelphia Eagles’ Lane Johnson). To me, that’s the lowest Wright’s contract should come in at per year.
The offensive tackle market has been cooked for years considering the highest-paid left tackle (Washington Commanders’ Laremy Tunsil) is making $30.1 million and now young left tackles like Paris Johnson Jr. are making their case to make $40+ million. It’s 2026, the league has changed, and left tackles are no longer that much more valuable than right tackles. Wright should be the one to break that narrative.
It’s also worth noting that the four of the five tackles listed above Wright (Sewell, Trent Williams, Tristan Wirfs, Jordan Mailata, and Tunsil) are all making $25+ million a year with Mailata being the exception (because he signed his extension back in 2024).
Darnell Wright has even more room to improve, which is the scary part for the NFL
The Bears would be wise to pay Wright as soon as possible because with each passing day, his value and leverage gets even higher. Just think how much he could be worth if Johnson, a fellow 2023 first-round pick, actually signs for $40 million a year or somewhere close.
Paying him now is also important because Wright still hasn’t even hit his peak as a player, which is the scary part for the rest of the NFL.
“I don’t see a consistently high motor,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “That’s the next step for him is getting that up.”
The other aspect Wright can improve even more on is his consistency. He already did a great job of that last season, but playing half the year injured shows there’s still a much higher ceiling that he can reach in this scheme.
“It was steady through the season,” Poles said of Wright’s growth. “I think that’s one thing we challenged was the consistency part. But when he strings it together, it’s really, really good, and it’s going to help us win football games. I love watching him come off the ball and move people. And when he has this confidence and belief in himself that he’s the best on the field, I think he can be one of the best to do it. He just has to show up and continue to put that work in and get there.”
The league already views this guy as one of the best overall tackles in all of football, and now it’s time for the Bears to pay him like it. And the sooner, the better.