The Chicago Bears are protecting what they built in 2025. Fresh off their first winning season since 2018, they took a massive step toward sustaining that momentum by locking up offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
The two sides agreed to a four-year, $116 million extension with $93 million guaranteed, ESPN reported Tuesday. The extension is the most ever for a right tackle, and Wright has now secured the most guaranteed money for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
Wright was the No. 10 overall pick out of Tennessee in the 2023 NFL Draft and has quickly proven his worth. Coming off an All-Pro season, he has established himself as a core piece of the Bears rebuild under general manager Ryan Poles.
When Poles was hired by the Bears in 2022, he completely tore down the roster to rebuild from the ground up. To kick off his vision, he took Wright with his first draft selection as general manager. Now, Poles is rewarding Wright with a record-breaking extension.
Wright’s second-team All-Pro nod made him the first Bears offensive lineman to earn a spot on the All-Pro team in over a decade. Kyle Long was previously the last Chicago offensive lineman to earn that distinction during the 2014 season.
Wright was widely viewed as a top offensive tackle in 2025. His 81.4 overall Pro Football Focus grade last season ranked 14th among all tackles. His elite 85.6 run-blocking grade, which ranked sixth in the league, solidified him as a key building block for Ben Johnson’s offense.
Johnson’s offense was third in the league in rushing last season, averaging 144.47 yards per game and 19 total touchdowns. Wright was one of the big reasons the team was able to establish its dominance with running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
With Wright now locked up for the long term, all eyes will shift to the development of star quarterback Caleb Williams and whether Johnson can keep their winning ways going into 2026. They open up the season traveling to Carolina to take on the Panthers in Week 1.
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