Ben Johnson confirms a rising standout has created a new dilemma for the Bears defense and it’s the kind they’ll gladly deal with
Nahshon Wright isn’t coming off the field anytime soon.
The Chicago Bears have really uncovered a hidden gem in cornerback Nahshon Wright, a player who was brought in as a depth body in the secondary but has started 10 of the team’s 11 games.
Few people were expecting this much usage out of Wright and no one was expecting the way he’s capitalized on his opportunity this season as a rising standout for this unit.
Week 12 was Wright’s breakout game in the eyes of many people after coming down with an interception you’d only see in Madden while also making some key plays throughout the rest of the game. With an banged up secondary starting to get healthier, conversations need to be had after the kind of game Wright played on Sunday.
Ben Johnson confirms Nahshon Wright will still have a role despite Jaylon Johnson’s eventual return
Two weeks ago, the Bears opened the 21-day practice window for Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson to start working his way back on the field coming of core muscle surgery in his groin.
It’s a massive return that the Bears are hoping to have back in Week 13 but with one player coming back on the field, another player will have to come off. Wright seemed to be the odd man out when Johnson eventually came back, but his play as of late has changed things.
“That’s the fun part, isn’t it,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said to reporters on Monday. “(Wright) has done a phenomenal job and I think he has certainly earned playing time.”
Just for some housekeeping notes on the subject, fellow outside cornerback Tyrique Stevenson left the game with a hip injury, and with a short week, his status will be worth monitoring at practice.
That being said, Wright’s play has certainly earned him playing time, even with Johnson comes back on the field and if Stevenson is able to play. His five interceptions this season is tied with teammate Kevin Byard for the most in the NFL but he’s also had five other pass breakups and is tied for the most tackles among the Bears cornerbacks. He’s even stepping up against the run in a big way.
“Shonny’s interception was one of the most athletic plays and phenomenal catches I’ve seen in a long time,” Johnson added. “Not to mention, I thought what’s undersung about what Shonny is doing right now is how much he’s influencing the run game as well. He’s coming up, he’s tackling the ball carrier, they’re throwing a bubble screen and he’s knifing through making a play there.
He’s really playing sound football, run game and pass game included. That was good to see.”
The one concern with Wright is the fact that he’s allowed a team-high six touchdowns in coverage this season, compared to Stevenson’s one touchdown allowed. But, there’s a give and take when it comes to his opportunistic ability to take the ball away with the targets he’s getting.
It’ll be a fun little problem for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to figure out in the weeks ahead, along with figuring out what to do with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kyler Gordon. These are great problems to have a speaks volume to the depth this team has put together.
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