Bears reach record-breaking extension with RT Darnell Wright prior to regular season, locking him in as a franchise pillar
The Chicago Bears have signed right tackle Darnell Wright to a record-breaking contract decision and now it’s time to see how high his ceiling can actually be for the future of this team.
Prior to the start of training camp, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles set the record straight on his feelings for right tackle Darnell Wright, his first-ever draft pick as the team’s general manager, and the timeline of signing him to a long-term extension.
“Darnell is a guy we want here long term,” Poles said last Tuesday. “It takes two sides to get things done. But at the end of the day, I don’t want any distractions or anything like that. So, when it’s time to go play football, we’ll go play football and keep it moving. But, yeah, he’s a guy we would like here for a while.”
Poles got his wish, locking Wright up on a long-term deal and getting the deal done ahead of the 2026 regular season, and it’s a massive one. Wright and the Bears reached an agreement on a four-year, $116 million extension with $93 million guaranteed.
Darnell Wright gets the headline as one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in NFL history
Wright’s new deal is worth $29 million per year, resetting the market at the right tackle position. With Tristan Wirfs and now Penei Sewell kicking over to left tackle, the previous highest-paid true right tackle in annual value was Lane Johnson at $25 million per year. Among all offensive tackles, Wright currently trails only left tackle Laremy Tunsil ($31 million per year).
On top of that, Wright’s deal includes $93 million in guarantees which now represents the most guaranteed money for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
This is the headline Wright’s team wanted. Whether it was publicly known or not, that was the goal for Chicago’s right tackle: to be the highest-paid offensive lineman in some fashion. He got exactly that and it’s absolutely deserved.
The four-year extension, combined with the 2026 fourth year of Wright’s rookie contract and the fifth-year option the team picked up for 2027, puts him on the books for six more years. That commitment secures Wright as one of the foundational pieces of the entire Bears roster at the right tackle position.
“I know I’ll be here for a long time,” Wright told reporters on Friday. “Hopefully my whole career. So, those things kind of handle themselves. I just gotta stay focused on the main things and that’s just getting better.”
Darnell Wright has earned every penny of this deal and is just getting started when viewing his potential
Wright showed last year as a second-team All-Pro that he is one of the best right tackles in football, it’s no longer a projection of what he could become. Now, he has the chance to be THE best right tackle in the NFL in 2026 and for years down the line playing in head coach Ben Johnson’s offense.
“He just continues to get better,” Johnson said of Wright earlier this offseason. “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. I think he’s one of those tackles that’s a powerful player and can displace guys off the line of scrimmage.”
The Bears identified Wright as a cornerstone when they selected him in the first-round, and his rapid development has validated that investment. Yet, Wright still has more to improve on, showing his ceiling is so much higher than what he’s already shown in four years with the team.
“I think it’s just consistency,” Poles explained. “We all see the flashes and the stacks of plays that he puts together. It’s really impressive. Can he be consistent day in and day out? That’s the key part for Darnell.”
Locking him up on a long-term at a market-resetting price signals that Chicago views Wright as a key part of this team’s future and the organization continues to make the offensive line a top priority, giving quarterback Caleb Williams stable protection up-front for the foreseeable future.
