By blending raw talent with relentless consistency, Bears right tackle Darnell Wright set the standard for a young Chicago core hungry for lucrative long-term extensions of their own.
Darnell Wright wasn't just handed his 4-year, $116 million deal that made him the highest-paid right tackle in NFL history.
After Bears general manager Ryan Poles drafted him with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-5, 325-pound offensive tackle went to work, establishing himself as a powerful player who can create rushing lanes while also having the foot speed and quickness to mirror defensive linemen in pass protection.
Wright had his best season of his career in 2025, allowing just three sacks and 19 total quarterback pressures, and the Bears rewarded him.
“Well, I mean, I think it is a prime example that potential and talent gets you into a building but then how you work, you go about your business, how you grow every single day, that's what gets you a long-term contract like he's got right now," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. "You know he's really embraced what we're trying to build here. I've been in here for a year and a half and I don't know if I've seen the guy improve as much as him. Just more so from a consistency standpoint than anything else. I mean he's always had it in him in flashes but the way he played a year ago it was no secret that we really relied on that right side of the offensive line for our run game engine to go and he was a huge part of that. The way he's attacked this offseason, what he's looked like so far in camp, I think the future is really bright for him. So that's the message that the young guys get.”
Wright's outcome might not be attainable for all of his teammates, but his approach serves as the ideal model for landing a massive contract.
Star cornerback Jaylon Johnson told the media last week that he views the 2026 season as "definitely a contract year" and understands he must play at his best to earn himself a new deal with Chicago or another team. Fellow corner Tyrique Stevenson is in the last year of his rookie contract and so his defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr.
All three of those players are not guaranteed to be a part of the Bears' future plans after this season, but if each player can stay healthy and produce, that will make it more difficult for the Bears to part ways.
If Wright's teammates are fortunate to one day put themselves in a similar situation, there's still plenty of work that must be done after a new contract is signed. Ben Johnson still views Wright as a player who is "still on an upward trajectory."
"He has not arrived by any stretch of the imagination," Johnson said. "There’s still more layers to Darnell Wright as a player that we're looking to peel back. ..."
Poles has signed a number of players to big-time contract extensions in the past: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, DJ Moore and Cole Kmet. So, there is proof of concept.
Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze will be eligible for a new contract following the 2026 season. If the young core of playmakers produce, they will soon find themselves where Wright stands today -- as foundational pieces of this Chicago Bears franchise.
