Bears standout defensive backs show out during the Pro Bowl to cap off an incredible season with uncertain futures ahead
Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright continued to make plays during the Pro Bowl.
The NFL’s Pro Bowl game took place on Tuesday night and many might have missed out on watching it, and I don’t blame you considering what the game has turned into at this point.
In case you missed it, the NFC won the flag football game with a final score of 66-52, completing an 18-point comeback with Dallas Cowboys wide receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb being the standout players on offense.
On the defensive side of the ball for the NFC, Chicago Bears defensive backs in Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright were easily two standout players from the game by continuing to do what they did better than anyone else this past season.
Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright showed out during the 2026 Pro Bowl
Both Byard and Wright came away with interceptions during Tuesday’s Pro Bowl game with both players picking off Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders (for those counting, Sanders has technically now thrown five interceptions to a Bears defender).
It’s only fitting that those two officially end their 2025-26 season with another interception. Byard led all players during the regular season with seven interceptions in route to a Pro Bowl and first-team All Pro selection. Wright, meanwhile, lead all cornerbacks with five interceptions and was tied for the second-most in the league behind his fellow ballhawk in Chicago.
It was a great moment for both players and a fantastic way to cap off an incredible season that ended short of expectations as a team.
“I’ve always felt I could play with these guys and that I belong,” Wright said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s kind of reassuring, like I do belong. I can be one of those guys in the league. It’s definitely cool.”
Bears now have some big decisions to make with both Pro Bowl defensive backs
With the Pro Bowl now behind us, reality is starting to set in for both Byard and Wright, who played out the 2025-26 season on expiring contracts and are now slated to hit free agency next month.
During the end-of-season press conference, Bears general manager Ryan Poles singled Byard out as one of the players he’d like to have back for the 2026 season given his veteran leadership and high-level play he clearly still has in the tank.
“I know (Ryan) Poles and Ben Johnson, they’ve got a lot of decisions to make as far as our roster, trying to see how everybody fits in there,” Byard said, via Josina Anderson. “I’m hoping to be able to come back, and obviously bring some other guys back as well, but we’ll see. It’s still unknown right now.”
There’s a strong chance the Bears retain Byard and allow him to finish out his career in Chicago, but with Wright it’s a different story. Byard has always been a big advocate for Wright throughout the season after overachieving on a one-year, $1.1 million deal. Just like Byard, Wright wants to stay in Chicago but earned a higher pay raise the Bears might not be comfortable paying.
“It was super rewarding. I finally got a chance to soak it all in and reflect and it’s definitely cool to have had the season I had,” Wright explained. “We just got to see where it goes from here. I definitely would love to be back in Chicago, but who knows.”
These are just two of the tough decisions that Poles and Johnson have to make over the next few weeks and we’ll see what decisions get made.
Chicago Bears News
Patriots rookie play-maker admits he thought he was headed to the Bears during the 2025 NFL Draft and it nearly happened
TreVeyon Henderson in Chicago was so close to happening during the second-round of the 2025 Draft.
