Bears have found a brutally simple answer to modern NFL defenses, and the right side of the offensive line is at the center of it
The Chicago Bears offense earned high praise on the latest 4th & Football podcast, and the development of the right side of the offensive line says plenty about why Ben Johnson’s rushing attack keeps overwhelming opponents through the first month of the season.
Chicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright has quietly grown into one of the most important pieces of head coach Ben Johnson’s offense. The former first-round pick entered the NFL as a traits-heavy prospect. Through the opening weeks of the 2026 season, he has looked like an All-Pro-caliber tackle and the physical tone-setter for one of the league’s most dominant rushing attacks.
That development isn’t going unnoticed nationally. During a draft-style segment on the Oct. 8 episode of the 4th & Football podcast with Garrett Greenlee and Kyle Crabbs, Wright was the pick when it came time to choose an offensive lineman. The reasoning behind the selection speaks volumes about what the Bears have built up front.
And Wright’s not the only one who’s been powering the league’s most dominant rushing attack.
Darnell Wright plays with the physicality Chicago’s offense is built on
In the podcast, Wright was described as a player who wins with power first and has steadily added polish around his game now that he’s in his fourth year in the NFL. It’s hard to argue with that after seeing his development firsthand.
“You want to talk about a guy that just kicks people’s butts up and down the field, just bar room brawler, phone booth, gets his hands on you in space, athletic enough to get up onto the second level and to win as a pass protector. He’s really refined that element of his game,” Crabbs explained.
That last point matters most. Wright’s physicality was never in question coming out of college. The pass protection was the part of his game that needed time, and the growth in that area is what has turned him into one of the league’s most complete right tackles rather than a mauler who has to be helped out in obvious passing situations.
He’s also a model for how offensive linemen should be developed at the NFL level.
“I think he’s a great kind of embodiment of offensive line development in the league as a whole, where Darnell Wright first coming in, obviously was drafted based off of traits,” Crabbs added. “You see what he’s physically capable of. And the player he’s become now is part of one of the most monstrous rushing offenses in all of football.”
It’s easy to see why that framing fits. Chicago bet on Wright’s tools in the first-round, and the new coaching staff under Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar have turned those tools into consistent, reliable play on the right side.
Bears are punishing lighter boxes, especially on that right side of the offensive line
The production backs it up. The Bears went over 200 rushing yards twice in their first four games and lead the NFL in rushing yards after the first month of the season. A lot of that success came running behind to the right side, where the Bears have totaled a league-high 501 rushing yards to the right (next closest team is the Baltimore Ravens with 330).
During the offseason, Johnson said his offense is right-heavy with Wright in mind. He’s then engine that powers this run game up-front. But, it wouldn’t be fair to not bring up right guard Jonah Jackson in this same conversation. Johnson said Jackson played at a Pro Bowl level last season and was overlooked for his performance. This year, he’s honestly playing even better.
“Jonah’s playing high-level football right now,” Johnson said. “He’s consistently graded as the top or right at the top of our offensive line for these first four weeks. Was really pleased with what he put on tape a year ago and he’s off to a hot start right now. [He’s a] big part of that room. I know his demeanor, his voice, carries a ton of weight. And I know we wouldn’t have the success we’ve had so far this year without his level of play.”
Defenses across the NFL have adjusted to explosive passing games by playing with lighter boxes and split-safety shells. Johnson has responded to that approach by leaning on the run, and how that right side of the line is built is perfectly suited to it.
“Ben Johnson’s got the point where he says, okay, you guys [want to] play [two-high]. That’s fine. We’re just going to run it down your throat,” Crabbs said. “And then they proceed to run it down your throat.”
The Week 4 win over the New York Jets was the clearest example yet. Chicago piled up 34 first downs, rushed for 232 yards, and had over 42 minutes of possession time. When an offense controls the ball in that way, it starts with the guys up front, and those two players have been at the center of it.
Wright is the type of player you build an offense around
Going back to Wright, the Bears have to be absolutely pleased with their decision to lock him up on a massive extension earlier this year. He’s absolutely worth the price and the kind of player you can build this offensive line around, and honestly the entire offense.
Clearly, this isn’t the same player who arrived as a raw, powerful prospect still learning the nuances of the position. Wright now carries the identity Johnson wants for this offense: physical, punishing, and comfortable taking advantage of whatever a defense gives it.
Going into the rest of the 2026 season, opponents will have to decide whether to keep playing light boxes and get pushed around, or load up against the run and open the door for Chicago’s just as explosive passing game. Either way, Wright’s development has given the Bears an advantage up front that should only grow as the season goes on.
