Former Tennessee Vol Darnell Wright just got a big chunk of change without picking up a pen
The former Tennessee standout and current All-Pro for the Chicago Bears got a bit more financial and job security on Monday.
The first round of the NFL Draft provides teams with an extra benefit that don’t exist elsewhere. First round draft picks come with four-year contracts with the team having the ability to pick up a fifth-year option.
That’s exactly what the Chicago Bears did on Monday with former Tennessee Vols OL Darnell Wright. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Bears are picking up Wright’s fifth-year option that will lock him into Chicago through the 2027 season.
Chicago Bears pick up fifth-year option on RT Darnell Wright
According to Over The Cap, Wright’s fifth-year option will come in at $19,072,000 and it’s fully guaranteed. Had he been named to the Pro Bowl last season, that number would have jumped up to $23,392,000. However, despite being named second-team All-Pro by the AP, Wright did not earn a Pro Bowl nod.
Wright, who played for Tennessee from 2019-22, was selected by the Bears with the No. 10 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft by Chicago. Last year, he allowed a career low three sacks in a career high 740 pass blocking snaps.
Per A to Z Sports Chicago writer Kole Noble, Wright — who is a candidate for a contract extension — could be due a number in the $27 million per year range, if not higher.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who drafted Wright, is very high on what he saw from Wright in 2025.
“It was steady through the season,” Poles said of Wright’s growth shortly after the Bears’ season ended. “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.”
As such, while the fifth-year option is a nice reward, it very well could be just the start of something even bigger very soon for the former Vol.