Darnell Wright Just Signed A Historic Contract With The Chicago Bears

Offensive linemen rarely get the credit they deserve, but without them, a team can't function effectively on offense. In the case of Darnell Wright, a right tackle for the Chicago Bears, his main duties are protecting quarterback Caleb Williams and opening up holes for running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

Wright has proven to be an invaluable part of Chicago's offensive line, and the team is rewarding him accordingly. The Bears and Wright agreed to a four-year, $116 million contract extension, including $93 million in guaranteed money.

That makes Wright the highest-paid right tackle in NFL history. He's also the second-highest-paid offensive tackle in the NFL with a $29 million average annual value in salary, behind only Laremy Tunsil, who's making $30.1 million per year from the Washington Commanders.

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The Bears chose Wright with the 10th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he was the first-ever selection from current general manager Ryan Poles. Despite the Bears struggling as a team during his first two seasons, Wright has generally played well on the field, especially this past year. He's only missed two games over three seasons and played through an elbow injury for most of 2025. Despite that, he ranked fourth in the NFL with a 95.2% pass block win rate, and was fifth among offensive linemen with a 93.07% snap count.

For his strong play, Wright was named to the second-team All-Pro last season. The Bears are hoping he can build on that foundation and be consistently elite.

Earlier this offseason, the Bears picked up Wright's fifth-year option. He's entering his fourth season, so he'll still be on a modest salary for 2026, but this new deal will keep him in Chicago through the 2031 campaign.

The Bears were one of the best turnaround stories in the NFL last season. After a 5-12 season in 2024 that included a 10-game losing streak, Chicago finished 11-6 in 2025. The Bears won the NFC North and defeated the rival Green Bay Packers during the NFC Wild Card round.

A big key for the Bears' success was improved offensive line play. Williams was sacked 68 times as a rookie. That number dropped to 24 in his sophomore year. The Bears also boasted last year's third-best rushing attack and tenth-best passing offense, with Williams throwing a franchise-high 3,942 passing yards.

Now, the Bears are focused on sustaining the success of last season. There hasn't been a lot to cheer about in Chicago since the team's last Super Bowl appearance 20 years ago, but this year's roster is bringing hope to the city. And Wright has been a major contributor.