Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright signed a favorable deal with the New York Jets in free agency, and that move indicates how Chicago felt about the veteran secondary player.
The Chicago Bears led the NFL in takeaways last season, and cornerback Nahshon Wright played a big part in creating those game-changing plays.
It started in Week 1 with his pick-6 against J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound outside cornerback took advantage of Jaylon Johnson's absence because of injury and ended his fifth NFL season with career-highs in interceptions (5), forced fumbles (2), fumble recoveries (3) and passes defensed (11).
Wright’s 2025 season, which ended with a Pro Bowl honor, earned him his 1-year, $5.5 million deal with the New York Jets – a team that had the fewest takeaways in the league, including zero interceptions.
New York gets an opportunistic cornerback who can create big-time plays for a fair deal. Given Wright’s new contract, some Bears fans might be wondering why a deal didn’t get done in Chicago.
Before free agency, experts believed Wright would earn himself a decent payday, but clearly, the NFL thought otherwise – which is reinforced by his contract. That could be how the Bears viewed the veteran cornerback.
Wright made some splash plays, but he also gave up his fair share of them as well. According to Pro Football Focus, Wright ended with a 63.4 coverage grade, allowing 53 receptions on 83 targets for 725 yards and seven touchdowns.
Although Wright's limitations in coverage were apparent all season, the final two regular season games against the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions truly highlighted his weakness. Against the 49ers and Lions, Wright allowed 10 catches for 169 yards and didn't account for any pass breakups.
The former third-round draft pick from Oregon State in 2021 only played 272 total defensive snaps in four seasons prior to his 1,176 snaps in Chicago. So, the lows were expected.
It should be expected that general manager Ryan Poles, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive backs coach Al Harris have discussed and reviewed Wright's game film when he isn't creating takeaways, and that may have been a reason why the team felt comfortable with him hitting free agency and ultimately signing with the Jets.
With Wright gone, does Tyrique Stevenson slot in at the boundary corner opposite of Johnson? Stevenson's snap counts since Week 12, playing just 128 total snaps in six games, including the playoffs, signal he wasn't someone the team wanted on the field.
Terell Smith, a fifth-round draft pick in 2023, missed the entire regular season with a torn patellar tendon. And 2025 fifth-round draft pick Zah Frazier missed his rookie season because of a personal reason. Both could have opportunities to start, but drafting a cornerback shouldn't be ruled out.
At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, the Bears did their homework on the cornerback prospects and many of them were at least 6-foot or taller, which is similar to Wright's physical profile.
The starting position opposite of Johnson is open, and clearly the Bears didn't intend on Wright being the solution for Chicago's defense this upcoming season.