Ben Johnson just made his stance on Darnell Wright crystal clear — and it should send a strong message to the front office
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson heaped plenty of praise on the back of right tackle Darnell Wright for how integral he is to the offense and the front office needs to be listening.
There’s plenty of praise to go around for the success the Chicago Bears had on offense last season but the player that deserves more credit than he’s received is right tackle Darnell Wright.
Wright was a key component in the team’s offensive success, especially in the run game, despite playing the majority of the season with one arm due to a UCL injury in his elbow. Wright never once complained and only missed one game while literally carrying the bulk of the offense on his back.
You know who did notice? Head coach Ben Johnson. And he made sure to give Wright plenty of credit when asked about his young star up-front ahead of mandatory minicamp.
Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson gives Darnell Wright the respect he rightfully deserves
“I think his approach and professional is what stood out from the start of the spring time a year ago up until this point. He just continues to get better,” Johnson said Tuesday of Wright. “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.”
The stats certainly back that up in a big way. According to Sports Info Solutions, the Bears led the NFL with 210 attempts, 1,146 rushing yards, and 70 first downs on runs that were to the right outside or to the right off the outside tackle. The next closest team was the Baltimore Ravens with 171 attempts, 1,007 yards, and 47 first downs.
The Bears understand that Wright is a physical unicorn and a massive advantage to build the offense around, especially with the back-and-forth rotation going on at left tackle.
“I think he’s one of those tackles that’s a powerful player and can displace guys off the line of scrimmage,” Johnson added. “When you have that available, it’s such a luxury that you want to be able to sink into it and he’s proven that you can do that and carry the load if you will a lot of the times in the running game on his back.”
Johnson since Day 1 has compared Wright to his former star right tackle in Detroit, Penei Sewell. When you go back to the 2024 season in Detroit, the Lions ran a similar approach with Sewell leading the charge. The entire staff views Wright in the same tier.
Ben Johnson just proved Darnell Wright is a pillar for this offense, and it’s time to pay him like it
The idea that Wright only continues to get better is spot on. He’s coming off a second-team All-Pro worthy season and should’ve been a Pro Bowl selection. The better he gets going forward, the more expensive he’s going to be.
Johnson has proven Wright is a pillar of this team, and that should send a message to the front office to expedite his long-term extension. The Bears have already picked up his fifth-year option for the 2027 season and a new deal will easily pay him $25+ million annually.
It’s a complicated deal to negotiate, but one the Bears better have ironed out before training camp starts. He’s worth every penny as a long-term investment and Johnson just told everyone exactly why.