Bears expert sets the price range for Darnell Wright’s extension and one key detail actually saves Chicago money in 2027
General manager Ryan Poles’ first first-round selection is set to get a lot of money in the near future.
The Chicago Bears have a lot of big decisions to make this offseason when it comes to which players to bring back for the 2026 season but the team already has an easy upcoming decision with right tackle Darnell Wright.
Wright was the first player selected in the first-round by Bears general manager Ryan Poles back in 2023 and is now eligible for his first contract extension this offseason.
Most first-round picks receive their extensions following their fourth season, but in rare cases players can get a new deal following their third season, especially if that player deserves it and plays at a premium position, and Wright checks both boxes.
Darnell Wright’s first extension is shaping out to be a costly one for the Bears
Wright is still under contract for the 2026 season with a $1,145,000 base salary and a $6,671,722 cap hit. Before thinking about a long-term deal, the Bears would first have to exercise Wright’s fifth-year option for 2027 by the first week of May and that’s where Chicago can actually save some money.
According to Over The Cap, the fifth-year option projected price for Wright is expected to be $20,497,000 and the Bears lucked out this past season. Had Wright been selected to the Pro Bowl, that price would have been $25,305,000. Instead, Wright didn’t make the cut, although he was named as a second-team All Pro selection.
As far as the extension goes, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic shared what the range would look like for Wright’s new deal. According to the sources Fishbain spoke with, Wright’s extension will be somewhere between $27-30 million on a three-four year deal which would rank Wright among the top players at his position. For context, here’s the Top-5 highest paid offensive tackles.
- LT Rashawn Slater: 4-year, $114 million deal ($28.5 million per year)
- LT Tristan Wirfs: 5-year, $140.6 million deal ($28.12 million per year)
- RT Penei Sewell: 4-year, $112 million deal ($28 million per year)
- LT Trent Williams: 3-year, $82.66 million deal ($27.55 million per year)
- LT Charles Cross: 4-year, $104.4 million deal ($26.1 million per year)
Will Darnell Wright actually surpass Penei Sewell’s contract value?
The high-end of that range would make Wright the highest-paid offensive tackle in NFL history, and to me, that would be a bit extreme. The low-end of that range at around $27 million per year seems to be the safe number and one that will age well for the Bears.
Speaking of which, Chicago would be smart to get this extension done as soon as possible this offseason before other offensive tackles start resetting the market. The real question is whether or not Wright surpasses Penei Sewell’s deal as the highest-paid right tackle.
Sewell signed his contract in April of 2024 following his third NFL season. Unlike Wright, Sewell entered into that fourth year with two Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All Pro selection already under his belt and easily deserved that massive deal.
Wright showed some promising work during the first season under head coach Ben Johnson, while playing through an injury, proving he’s capable of playing at that kind of elite level.
“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,” Poles said of Wright after the season ended. “He just has to show up and continue to put that work in and get there.”
Perhaps the Bears wait another year to see Wright stack another strong season together before handing over a massive extension, at which point would likely surpass Sewell’s deal. If the two sides want to strike an early deal this offseason, the Bears should push for that $27 million per year number.
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